Trumper at the Wine Counter

Typically, when I visit my local grocery store, I don’t expect to become embroiled in a contentious discussion. I frequent this higher-end establishment weekly. It has everything I like to eat during my five days on the road. When you enter on the west side, there’s a fridge section full of wraps, sandwiches, salads and sushi that are tasty and nutritious. That’s the gateway to my trucking provisions. I know where everything is and often, I’m in and out in half an hour.

Sometimes things don’t go as planned, and that was the case on Saturday March 1st. I was in the store the day after the infamous meeting between Ukraine President Volodymyr Zalensky and US President Donald Trump, accompanied by Vice President JD Vance. In case you live in a cave and didn’t catch it, Trump and Vance seemed to ambush Zalensky, whose country is embroiled in a bitter war started by Russia. They insulted him and embarrassed him and his country, calling them ungrateful for past American financial and military support.

This meeting wasn’t front of mind when I walked into the small wine store that’s nestled inside the store. Rather I was thinking more of Trump’s economic campaign against Canada, which he had just begun with promises of tariffs and encouraging Canada to become the ’51st state.’ I wanted to support the fast evolving ‘Buy Canadian’ movement.

Yup, me, a trucker who spends almost five full days each week in America. Until now, I’ve never considered myself much of a ‘homer.’ I’m more a ‘man of the world.’ But a swift and unprecedented attack on my homeland changed that in a heartbeat. Suddenly I’m backing my country to the glorious end. Continue reading →