I'm not sure I'd let Sparrow into my country, either, until he showed me his poems and gave me his $35.
Seriously, I'm amazed by all the distress expressed in the comments below. Sparrow, whom I admire and love as a dear friend, presents as a mendicant. Canada's border people probably viewed him as a potential welfare-seeker and felt that they had to check him out. He didn't even miss his bus! To me, this tale is not symptomatic of Donald Trump's many crimes and stupidities — it's just a funny story about a funny guy who, in general, does not fit in with people's assumptions.
I agree with the above comments. Yes, sad and quite disturbing. But fortunately your ability to maintain calm and your brilliant humor made the read thoroughly enjoyable for me. Thanks for that.
Sparrow might have gotten some sympathy from those Canadian officials by suggesting that Canada change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of Canada....precious words to describe the helpless one feels when authority appears in the flesh.
This really upset me, to see the changes that have occurred in our relations with Canada.......the lifestyle guidelines we have to adopt to travel and not be ourselves. It's frightening. For sure young people can't be Hippies anymore if they want to cross a border.
I'm not sure I'd let Sparrow into my country, either, until he showed me his poems and gave me his $35.
Seriously, I'm amazed by all the distress expressed in the comments below. Sparrow, whom I admire and love as a dear friend, presents as a mendicant. Canada's border people probably viewed him as a potential welfare-seeker and felt that they had to check him out. He didn't even miss his bus! To me, this tale is not symptomatic of Donald Trump's many crimes and stupidities — it's just a funny story about a funny guy who, in general, does not fit in with people's assumptions.
I agree with the above comments. Yes, sad and quite disturbing. But fortunately your ability to maintain calm and your brilliant humor made the read thoroughly enjoyable for me. Thanks for that.
Add to Martha’s list above…
Or trans, or tattooed, or yellow, or Hasidic, or a monk, or just a regular guy wearing baggy clothes and growing a long beard. Terrifying!
Thanks for writing this. I was imaging how scary an immigration interview would be for someone who actually poor or homeless or brown-skinned. So sad.
Sparrow might have gotten some sympathy from those Canadian officials by suggesting that Canada change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of Canada....precious words to describe the helpless one feels when authority appears in the flesh.
This really upset me, to see the changes that have occurred in our relations with Canada.......the lifestyle guidelines we have to adopt to travel and not be ourselves. It's frightening. For sure young people can't be Hippies anymore if they want to cross a border.
yes frightening