Life is Weird, People are Special: Spending Quality Time

Having grown up in a small city…

I’ve always had mixed feelings about visiting Toronto, or as the locals say, “Toran’na,” because with a population nearing a mild 6.5 million, the GTA is a monstrous metropolis, not unlike New York City, which is probably one of the reasons why many films and t.v. shows set in NYC are actually filmed in its northern twin. And much like any major city, T-dot has its upsides: architectural treasures, entertainment centers, diverse cultures, and niche cuisine, and its downsides: the juxtaposition of social economic classes.

Despite its charms and misgivings, one of the things I find most amusing about Ontario’s capital is watching how people spend their money and, more importantly, their time. I find it absolutely fascinating. Once while washing my hands in the lady’s room, a woman wearing an exquisite Armani suit came in, typing furiously away on her phone, and without looking up from her electronic device, she entered a stall and closed the door. Not too alarming. Yet within mere milliseconds, she reemerged from the stall exasperating, “I don’t have time for this,” without heeding nature’s call (pun intended). It was like watching a squirrel in human form. 

Later on in the morning, I was at a charming café and was sitting within earshot of the barista. He greeted each of his customers by name and knew everyone’s order by heart. He asked about their families and their jobs, their exams and their hobbies. Those he didn’t know, he shook their hand and introduced himself. As the morning grew late, the line stretched out the door, but nevertheless, he took those few minutes to genuinely connect with each customer, and in return, they gladly and patiently waited to be served.

Both of these instances make me smile because life is weird and people are special. Some have lots of money, but haven’t any time, while others have lots of time, but haven’t any money. Conversely, there are those who have both and those who have neither. No matter the combination of time and money, it’s up to you on how you spend them. As for me, perhaps it’s not so terrible spending my little bit of time and money in Toronto after all.

As always, thank you for reading and joining me on this #internationalcoffeejourney