Yesterday, while I was attending the city council meeting, Mayor Mitch Campsall said something that got me thinking.
He spoke in regards to the events over the last couple of weeks that went on in town but specifically about how the town has responded to visitors.
A couple of weeks ago, we had the Gold Wing Road Riders Association in town for their motorcycle rally and Campsall commented on how welcoming the community was to the riders but also in general. 100 Mile House has always been a welcoming community.
I began thinking about when I first moved here. I was a complete stranger, I didn’t know a single person, but I felt immediately welcomed into the community.
I mean, as soon as someone saw me, they could tell I wasn’t from around here but they treated me as one of their own.
It was a very nice feeling.
From my coworkers to many of the community members, everybody is so friendly and welcoming. I was nervous, I didn’t know how I was going to get along with my coworkers, let alone the rest of the community. I thought it was going to be a challenge to become adjusted and a well-known person in town, as a journalist. I was wrong. The best part was, that I was accepted for who I am. That’s not an easy thing to come by in a new place, especially in a small town, so I thought.
Then I began thinking about back home. Sure it was easy to make friends, but I never felt welcomed. It didn’t matter where I was or the establishment I took myself into, people didn’t care.
I used to ride the city bus. I had good experiences and bad ones. I enjoyed it because I am an observer and I like to people watch.
One thing I have noticed about people in a city is that everyone is busy. People don’t have time for other people - they are too worried about what is going on in their own lives. Now that doesn’t speak to everyone, but it is a general observation that I have made over time.
In a small town, people are busy too but they still make time for other people. It seems like when someone is inquiring about your day or how you are that day, they generally care when they ask. I wish you saw that everywhere. I don’t want to say that other towns or cities should consider being more like 100 Mile, but it’s not a bad idea.
I guess the bottom line is, I am very grateful for deciding to move here. Not living in a city isn’t so bad after all. I was welcomed into the community from the day I arrived and I don’t think I would have been able to adjust to such a big change in my life if I had gone anywhere else.
I hope that aspect of this town never changes because it certainly has a positive impact on a person, one that might be hard to find elsewhere.