By Jonathon “Bizz” Brown

Personally, I have the worst sense of smell in the world. At points in my life its been a hindrance (like during puberty) but during times like Toronto’s garbage strike it’s almost like a super power. I live literally 3 blocks from a dump site and cannot smell anything that could be considered close to a stench. As you shake your head, I realize, yes I am blessed. But today I watched the evening news and back to back stories brought another factor to my attention…

CityTV ran their daily story updating their viewers on the garbage strike, noting the length, the progress, the picketers, the new proposal and resident’s concerns. Everyone wants the strike to end – seemed to be the message. Then they ran a news story pointing out that we may get through July without one day over 30 degrees Celsius. Why all the rain? Where’s the heat? What kind of summer weather is this? Has summer even arrived? These questions all came up during the report on this rainy day in Canada’s largest city. And suddenly it hit me – we just can’t be kept happy can we?

On one hand you can find 101 people willing to talk about why they want the strike to end and the garbage to go away. On the other hand you can find just as many people to complain about the cool, smog free weather we’ve been having. Where are the people considering that we’ve actually caught a break when it comes to the weather in the face of this garbage strike? Imagine how bad this city would smell (for you all who can smell) if we were walking around in 30 degree weather inhaling the sweet stench of our own domestic waste! We’d be complaining about the garbage strike and how the weather is making it worse.

But that’s why I write The Fine Print. To point out the pieces of our daily lives that most of us don’t pick up on. Instead of complaining because there’s garbage everywhere and its cool out. Take a deep breath and consider that stench would invariably be worse if you got your wish of a sun filled, scorcher.

That’s The Fine Print.