8/15 The kindness of strangers on the road

Am reading in “American Ramble” how kind strangers in small towns often bend over backwards to help another stranger like the author (Neil King) as he walks from D.C. to New York on foot. One story tells of being in the small town of Cranbury near Jersey, telling locals of his plan to hike through what he wasn’t aware was swampland. A local schoolteacher and his 80 year old mom rustled up their kayak for him to use instead, offering to meet him on the other side with his gear. Such kindness warms me heart and reminds me of similar acts on my travels camping across the continent. # Like the time a Mexican family in San Felipe (on Sea of Cortez) insisted I join them for a beautiful, gaily lit dinner on Christmas day because they didn’t want me to be alone. Another in New Horton, New Brunswick (Canada) locals were hanging about in their front yard enjoying wine and cheese. I waved driving by, they waved me over to join them. I pulled over and we regaled each other with tales of the area…