Runaway Future

I think it would be hard for me to characterize myself as a “fan” of Halifax. I have many complaints about the city and the way it is run. I often think about leaving, about what life would be like living in a different city. I’m concerned about the direction this city and province are taking politically, socially, economically and developmentally.

With that said, I’ve found myself into the pretty unexpected situation of defending the city.

First was the girl who I met at the Seahorse. She was surprised that I knew where Kuwait and Crete were (apparently she is from both) and then she spouted off about intrinsically racist she thought Halifax was. Now, granted I am far from having my finger on the pulse of any racial tensions that this city faces, but she was so cavalier about how apparent it was (to her at least) and immediately dismissive of me (because I couldn’t see it and thus was part of the problem). She couldn’t provide any examples other then it was just the way some people seemed to treat her. Clearly, this treatment had nothing to do with her overbearing personality and her tendency to talk down to people. She already had plans to move away. It bothered me that her view of the city was so poor, as this was not the city I knew.

Then there’s a few people I know from Ontario who seem to continuously claim how lame and boring Halifax is, especially compared with the vaunted Toronto. I guess it bugs me because it’s not productive, nothing is accomplished by comparing a smaller city unfavorably to one which is much larger. It reminds me of an saying I once heard “whether your sunglasses are on or off, you only see the world you make.” I have fun in this city, I can find things to do and I don’t feel that the city is directly limiting me in any great capacity. Is that all because I grew up in an even smaller environment, where there was even less to do? In any case, the worst part is that there’s no reason for them to be here: they have no family here, no ties other than a few friends and a job. If it makes people so unhappy to be here, makes them feel so limited, then why are they here?

Of course, with that being said, I was in a film called Let’s All Hate Toronto. So maybe I’m part of the problem.