Edmonton's Fists

Some time late last week, a young and affluent man with a sporty car believed himself to have been cut off by the truck in front. He got out and confronted the truck driver, who was a small and frail man of about fifty years of age. The young man punched the older man in the face, smashing his glasses, and lodging fragments of glass into his eyelid. The older man went to ER for stitches.

This true story is taken from the life of my girlfriend's building caretaker. He is a Buddhist, although I don't really know if that really alters the meaning of the story. Seems to make it even more sad, to my mind.

I watched FUBAR for about the third time last night, an Alberta-made film that this time around seemed not just a comedy, but also a penetrating insight into the dark and violent Alberta psyche. It is funny but also rather chilling how nihilistic the main characters, Terry and Dean are. It's sad how often nights of revelry end up in violence, either man-on-man, or man-on-inanimate-obect, i.e. bus shelter. The scene in High River is particularly unnerving: a bunch of drunk locals essentially so bored that duking it out with their fists is a major form of entertainment.

In any case, those extremes aside, it is an ongoing irritation how a thin veneer of hostility smooths over most of the interactions between the citizens of this city -- especially the male citizens. It's why this time of year must truly be lived to its fullest, because it's one of the few times where I can routinely get outside and enjoy community pastimes such as soccer that rekindle a bit of hope in the local human spirit!