On Thursday afternoon, earlier than a gathering of 50 younger individuals between the ages of 20 and 30 — those that, within the official description, “are exceptional in their potential, their achievements and their drive to make a contribution to their communities” — the prime minister of Canada was publicly complimented on his “sock swag.”
“You can see, we’re just so excited to have this chat with you,” supplied the moderator, after Justin Trudeau had been greeted by a standing ovation and one whoop. “In particular, we’re just amazed by how much you’ve accomplished in a very short amount of time. It seems like you’ve awakened, or reawakened rather, the spirit of an inclusive, welcoming, positive Canada.”
His formidable viewers — gathered collectively as “Global Shapers” and boasting the type of resumes that humble their elders — was certainly enthusiastic.
“There’s three words that you said — ‘[because] it’s 2015’ — that really made a lot of people in Nepal, a lot of people around the world, realize the importance of gender parity,” a younger man recalled of Trudeau’s quip after swearing in a cupboard cut up evenly by gender.