Just had someone come to my door. He didn't say who he was with, or who he worked for but his jacket was labels as "go green" and had an energy Star Logo on it.

He claimed that there were recent building code changes that he had to come into the house and inspect my furnace and duct work to make sure it was up to code. Now I could be 100% wrong, but if that type of an inspection was needed a government body likely would have called, mailed, or some other way notified us and setup a time.

He showed up in the middle of dinner and Insisted he had to come in anyway, Bad tick number one. I told him I had just replaced my furnace a year ago, and they had told me everything was up to code at that time, He responded by saying that was maintenance and had nothing to do with the furnace at all. I asked him who sent him and he didn't answer, in all I told him no, and to get off my porch 5 times before he left.

It might not be a scam, but that sure felt like one to me.

To the woman who decided to yell at me for my headscarf (hijab) as she was driving by me in her Ford SUV in the Goodlife plaza around 3:30 on Tuesday:

First, I almost didn't even realize you were saying something to me as I was walking to my car. It wasn't until I heard the all familiar "...That THING on your head!" comment that I even looked up to see who was yelling. You could barely even look at me when you said it, you kept driving as you yelled, and then you quickly rolled up your window and took off as you finished. Makes me think that maybe this was your first time being openly prejudice - nice try, I guess?

Since you judged me so quickly (and all other women who wear the scarf because really, it could have been anyone you yelled at) and chose not to see me as a normal human being, I just wanted to tell you a few things about myself. Hopefully after reading this, you and whoever else sees hijabi women as just a stereotype, might think differently:

- I am a full time professional with a blooming career.
- On top of my professional career, I work part time at a non-profit to help women learn new skills.
- I volunteer for various local events both within and outside of the Muslim community.
- I have young children who are my world (and were luckily not around when you yelled at me).
- I graduated in the top 15% of my class after going back to school as an adult with two young children at home.
- I also completed my three years of coursework in two years.
- I have been happily married for 10+ years
- I am attempting to learn the beginnings of a fourth language (English is my mother tongue, but I have learned French through school and held on to quite a bit of it, and have taught myself the foundations of Arabic and Spanish in my spare time).
- I am a proud Canadian who was born and raised here.
- Like you might imagine, my family is an immigrant family - they came from Scotland 48+ years ago. Before Scotland, my family descended from Ireland.

Not what you were thinking, right?

I choose to wear this THING on my head because...well, because I can. I am Canadian, I am Muslim, and I wear a hijab. All of which are my right as a human being in this country. I am a productive, contributing resident of this city and citizen of this country.

Want to know something better? My story is NOT unique. There are thousands - no, millions - of women who wear the hijab who do the same and more, all over the world. We do not let our hijab get in our way. Unfortunately, there are times when other people let our hijab get in the way. I hope this ends one day.

We are seen as both victims and aggressors at the same time. But really, we are just regular women who do our best - we have good days and bad days. We do 'normal' things like get our hair done, have parties, foster genuine friendships, have fun, love our family, etc. Despite all this, all you saw was my scarf.

That's fine - you're not the first and you certainly won't be the last to say something to me about my scarf. Your passive aggressive bullying, however, is not acceptable in Canadian society. So while I am extending my hand to you for the purposes of understanding, realize that I refuse to be a victim of your (or anyone else's) prejudices. Hate is very real, and it's scary on BOTH sides when things go awry. It really hit home for me the other day when the three young, respectable Muslims were killed in North Carolina. It was frightening when there was a man brutally attacked in front of his children in Dearborn, and when a Somali teen was ran over and killed for doing nothing more than being Muslim. It also hits home two-fold when there are home grown attacks against Canadians or Americans - the events in Ottawa shook the community (both Muslim on non-Muslim) deeply here in Windsor. It's just too close to home. It also scared me as a hijab wearing woman that others might see me or my children as being at fault for such attacks because we share the same name of our faith, no matter how our greatly our beliefs vary. I have to worry even more about the safety of my loved ones during these times because people might just take out their frustrations on us even though we personally have nothing to do with what occured. It happens and it's scary as a Canadian and a as Muslim. In the end, the longer people think that all Muslims are like the barbarians you see on TV, the bigger the problem gets.

We as a community locally, try VERY hard to fight that notion, and we do this one event, one press release and one person at a time. You're my one person today.

Nice to meet you.

To the man/ women who walks their dog down Grand past W.J Langlois Elementary School. Every week hundreds of children are tracking dog poop into the school because you allow your dog to poop in the middle of the sidewalk and refuse to pick it up. My son as well as myself have had the unfortunate experience of trying to scrap off our shoes on a number of occasions. It's becoming a daily habit to look down at the sidewalk and make sure we avoid the poop land mines that you choose to leave behind. It's to the point that the students of this school are literally avoiding the sidewalk and walking along the road so they don't step in it because it's been tracked all along the sidewalk by unsuspecting parents and children walking before them. Clean up your dog's poop! It's the law and it's just plain gross. I hope the people who live in this area keep an eye out for whomever this is and one day catches you and your dog in the act. Sincerely one fed up Mother!

Do as I say, NOT as I do.

This is what I think every day as I sit in my car and wait for my children to come out of school. I used to get really irritated by the fact that now a days people lack the most basic manners to function in society. I want to emphasize the word Basic . I have sadly realized that being self-centered is the way to go. Because God forbids we think about others needs, or worst respect them. Some people just respect the people they know, no-one else. How funny is that?

The saddest part about it, is not that we as adults are self-centered and disrespectful. The real sadness lies in the realization that we are parents. We are the ones who mold, guide, and explain norms to our children. Scary thought, don't you think? We are their role models! Our children look up to us. How sad and pitiful is that!

What a double standard. We say we teach our children to be respectful, to care for others, to help and be empathetic. And of-course we are totally up for anti-bulling. What a joke! Then again the joke is on us since our children can see our behavior.

Reality, we couldn't care less about others. Manners?? What is that! Being courteous? No way! Because our dictionary is full of Me, Myself, and I.

Funny how in our little world we actually believe we are special. Would it really kill us to think just a little bit about others? Especially if you see the Others every single day when you pick up your kids. I mean, chances are that one day we may have to actually be nice towards each other since our children share the same space for 8 hours a day.

Are we really so self-centered that we can't realize that we are an inconvenience to others? When we block an entrance and act like nothing is wrong, what does that says about our character?

When we park illegally in a school zone, we are literally an accident waiting to happen.
When we use the entrance of the parking lot as an exit (that by the way is located on a curve) are we ready to deal with the consequences of an accident? What would happen if you hit a little kid because you didn't see her/ him. Or, what if the incoming traffic hits your kid because you are illegally park by the side of the road. Is it really worth it? Who would be at fault, you or the other driver? If it's you, can you live with such guilt?

Hopefully I did not hurt anyone's feelings. Because honestly that was not my intention.

Shout out to the miserable old hag in Walmart on Dougall today at 3. You thought you could wait in line, with patient shoppers behind you for a friend who had a full shopping cart. Is life so short that you had to cut me and my bottle of pop?

Is your friends spot in line so important that you had to very rudely tell my 22 year old just got home from a funeral and only has two items self to move because you were there first?

Common sense and decency people.

I brought my friend into the hospital at 2am because she was having chest pain and difficulty breathing. After 4 hours the doctor still hasn't seen her, she's at the nurses station talking with the nurses about buying houses and boyfriends. My friend went to the bathroom over an hour ago and the nurse disconnected her from her monitor and when she came back I asked the nurse if she could reconnect her and she said "sure I'll be there in a minute" .. An hour later it's beeping loud and constantly because she hasn't been reconnected, the nurses are just all standing there laughing with the doctor and nobody is being seen. My friend is here crying in pain and the one doctor thats here is sitting at the nurses station just talking, no ones come to tell us anything. Awful nurses, awful doctor.

Spotted: racist on the loose,

Around 4pm today, I witnessed a car accident involving a minivan and possibly an svu or another van. The minivan was being driven by a male and the other vehicle by a female. Both had passengers. I don't know who's at fault but what I did see was the disgusting behaviour of the female passenger of the car that may not have been at fault. Within seconds of the cars colliding, the female passenger got out of the car, shouted obscenities and literally just lost her mind. Then to top the scene she was already creating she proceeded to shout, "leave it to an Asian to cause a car accident.". WOW. Looks like evolution forgot about you. That bumper is replaceable. How you made that man and his son feel will never be forgotten. I sure as hell won't forget.

Thank you for showing everyone what kind of person you are. Your behaviour is embarrassing and you are a rotten person. I would hate to be related to you. I pray you don't have children who will learn how to act like you.

I keep reading my car got broken into and they took my wallet or this or that. Auto break ins have been happening far too often TAKE YOUR VALUABLES OUT OF YOUR VEHICLES and save yourself 1 less headache