People who need people
My recent motorcycle adventure to Cape Breton and back taught me a thing or two about people.
I’ve been to the East Coast many times before, but never in this fashion, on a bike, with a group and a couple of maps and there to enjoy the journey as much as arriving at the destination.
Cape Bretoners practically clamour to offer their assistance. Whether it’s directions or advice about the best views of the ocean or where to eat, each and every person we talked to was friendly and chatty and more than happy to help. Take into account that to the unaware, leather clad and rumbling in, we may have seemed like a small but potentially fierce gang! (A hilarious concept, if you know us - two radio announcers, two factory workers and an engineer, all mild-mannered and kind to all living creatures!) But we found nothing but universal eagerness to make sure we got the most out of our visit.
And we did! We ate fresh lobster, prepared in a home-style, traditional way at the tackiest (and I mean that as a compliment!) little restaurant/souvenir shop you’ve ever seen, near the Cape Breton causeway. We had scads of wonderful adventures you can only have on a motorcycle.
The people make the difference, and I don’t know what it is about Cape Bretoners but they display no irritation with the continuing tourism invasion of their little piece of paradise. They get the big picture view, that tourism brings dollars and word of mouth is a powerful form of advertising. If we have a good time we’ll share that news and so on. And they also seem to genuinely enjoy meeting someone new and taking a few minutes to visit.
Torontonians could stand to learn a little from the Capers. Think about that the next time you see an obviously confused tourist, nose into a map, at a downtown corner. Would it really take very much out of your day to ask if you could help?
July 10th, 2008 at 5:54 am
I have been to the east coast a number of times and in each case and concur…. More importantly congratulations on your decision! Your, your humour, your humanity will be missed. Thank you!
July 24th, 2008 at 10:48 am
Thanks very much for the compliments. I am a caper, who lives in Durham, Ontario. You are correct some of the nicest people in the world are from the East Coast of Canada. When they are transplanted and live elsewhere, as my neighbors from Newfoundland are, they also make the best neighbors.
We will miss you..