It's Canada Day, Eh!

Okay, look. I hate to be this socialist, left wing, introspective, people loving, I'd-like-to-teach-the-world-to-sing kind of guy, because if there was ever a peace loving hippy, it isn't me (although, in a different time and different place, maybe I would have been). But recently I have really noticed the general decency of people in this world. It almost gives you hope that maybe the world isn't that bad place after all...

First let me set the stage...it's Canada Day today. I have been to Trafalgar Square. They have Sleemans there. Sleemans is not the best beer in the world, but it does go well with 32 degree weather....and it might explain my current reflective mood. So HAPPY CANADA DAY.

My first example is a result of today's festivities (because it's the most recent in my mind). In general, Canada Day does bring the best out of people - their Canadianism (is that a word? the right word?). Nothing can be more peaceful than a bunch of punch-drunk Canadians watching a bit of street hockey in the centre of London's famous Trafalgar Square - seriously. Where else can someone stand up in front of a crowd of "strangers" and do the "I am Canadian" rant? Or start an impromptu sing-along of "O Canada"? The beaver is a truly proud and noble animal. But within 5 minutes of sitting down to watch said hockey we were having a conversation with fellow Canadians K and J. Now, to be fair, we didn't initiate the chat. But we were fully engaged very soon after the intial "So are you really from Canada...oh yeah whereabouts?". And when my aforementioned Sleemans was empty I soon found myself returning from the beer tent with enough cans for us and our new-found friends. I am not saying that this is a highly unusual event...certainly not in the crowds that I hang in. But it just goes to show how nice people attract nice people, and nice people do nice things for other nice people. You don't have to go far to find societies out there where, not only would you not even consider saying "hi" to the next person, you wouldn't buy them a drink at the bar as a token of your new friendship.

The second and third (and thankfully, for you, final) example occurred last weekend when I went golfing. As is the usual plan when PetDoc is working I find some golf course to spend the day at. Being without car, the only way for me to get to these courses is to take the train and then find some way from the station to the course. I am not the best at planning except to plan on calling for a taxi when I get there. Well, this weekend I played at a course that required me to take the train to a station called Ockley, which is just southwest of London. As I said, I don't do the planning and I assumed that the station would have a queue of taxis waiting to whisk me off to the course. (Why not? I am the centre of the world and everyone should be at my beck and call.) So when I rocked up at Ockley and found that there were no taxis and that the old station house had been turned into private residence I figured I was in trouble. That being said, the kind people of Southern Railway have erected a board of key information, including a phone number for a taxi. Good news. I rang them up. Bad news. They said they could be there in 1 hour! Seriously?! 1 hour? But I am here, and I have a tee-time to make. Come now! Fortunately, the young lady who lived in the converted station house was about so I asked her how to walk to the course. (I was told by the golf course that it was only a 15 minute walk from the station...I thought). Much to my surprise, and relief, and with no reason at all she kindly offered me a lift. She was, after all, going into town to the shops...so why not offer a complete stranger who just arrived by train a lift to the golf course?! Putting on my best shocked-yet-appreciative-and-still-incredulous face I accepted. (What was my option?).

Fast forward to the round of golf. I ended playing with a 3-some that are members at the course. None of them were extremely local (ie they had to drive a bit to get into the course) and it became apparent that I was without wheels and had to take the train back to London. One of the guys was heading in that direction, so he offered me a ride to the nearest station to his house. This was going to be great. I would save lots of time getting home. En-route we got along well and my new driver-friend made a suggestion - he would drive me straight home...it wasn't that much further than where he lived. Now, I don't know if you have ever driven in London, but nothing is as close as it actually is. If you needed to go 10 miles and were to hit the 401 you would be there in a few minutes. But in stop-and-go, car crazy traffic, 10 miles is not that easy to do (unless you are on a Vespa and can zip by everyone and everything!!). But there you are, he took me right to my front door.

Now, as I said...I'd hate to come across as some sort of touchy-feely bloke who gets so excited by the kindness of man-kind (too many kinds there). But seriously folks, I have to stop and think that, how in a world of such diversification, where people can hate and kill each other based on the colour of their skin or their beliefs and faith, you can share a Sleemans or a drive to/from a golf course with a complete stranger and not have to either risk your life or expect some sort of compensation.

It may be the Sleemans that is doing the talking here (and let's collectively hope that's all it does) but I am finding myself thinking that's pretty cool. Perhaps it's just me - I mean, perhaps I am the kind of guy that people can trust and so they warm up to me quickly :) but maybe, just maybe, the world is a better place than we think.

And, no, I am not a murderer (as the young lady jokingly asked me at Ockley station)...

HAPPY CANADA DAY!