It’s A Small World After All

It seems no matter where we travel, how far we go or how long we are gone, we either run into someone we know or they live next door to us, figuratively. Case in point- We’re at the Cody Stampede on July 4th and being neighborly, we start talking with the people next to us. Come to find out, they come from Vermont. What are the odds? Then, we’re sitting in the parking lot waiting for traffic to thin out so we can leave and there is a knock on our window. It’s a couple who live in the area now but the lady grew up in Berlin, NH. They saw our plates and just had to say hi! And if this isn’t odd enough for you, we are in Glacier National Park, a day earlier than we’re supposed to be. The ranger says she has room in a different part of the campground for the one night so we find a site, set up and the next thing we know, Carl is chatting with some people in the next site from Vermont. I know, it’s kind of cool, but wait. We travel another 2,000 miles west and north to arrive in the Fairbanks area and who should be in the site next to us but a couple from Maine. I don’t think we’ve actually met anyone who is born in Alaska. That is until yesterday. And while I’m on the subject, since it truly is one global community. If you think you, one person, have no impact or can’t make a difference, on this big blue marble we call earth, you should think again. We hiked in a heavily traveled area this morning. The trail was well marked and kept really well. Still, there was some areas that were really muddy. Now, in this situation, you can do two things. Either you can walk through the mud, taking some of that wet soil with you and thereby adding to the deepening depression or you can step around the puddle and change the course of the path for better or worse. You may think your one set of footprints does little or no harm. Think again! There are signs all along the path “Please stay on the path” but you can plainly see where people have strayed, walked down to the river and traced their names, initials or perhaps their significant other’s name in the damp sand. They think it’s cute but I come along and my scenery is damaged because they chose to mark the area with a sort of graffiti. ~sighs~ So, please, don’t stray from the path! (Or the big bad wolf just might eat you ) Oh, no! Don’t get me started on the stereotypes of “bad” wolves.