Date: 2009-05-03
From: Wild Camp (after Wesser Shelter)

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: light rain

A discourse on manners. I do spend quite a bit of time out here wondering if my manners are up to scratch or more pointedly wondering if I appear rude. In the South people seem so polite and there appears to be a sort of ¢structure¢ or ¢form¢ to social relationships. I¢m never quite sure what is expected; when a ¢sir¢ or ¢ma¢am¢ is appropriate (or even required). The courtesy seems to relate to age and mow that I am, well, not as young as I used to be I¢m never sure if I should be the giver or the recipient of the courtesy. I¢ve developed the philosophy that I¢m no better than anybody and that nobody is any better than me, and as part of that I hope I treat people right (even when I tease them) and that the absence of any expected social mores can be accepted or perhaps overlooked.Anyway, the reason I ramble on about this is because today I made it to the Nantahala Outdoor Centre (NOC) and after a shower, come laundry and hamburger and fries I headed off in search of some groceries. The small store nearby didn¢t have much choice so I decided to try another that ¢the book¢ said was a mile up the road. I hadn¢t gone far before it started to rain and I hadn¢t gone much further before a guy slowed down and offered me a ride. He didn¢t know me from Adam but could guess that I probably didn¢t want to be walking, and almost certainly didn¢t want to be walking in the rain. So for no other reason than to help his fellow man he offered his assistance and this is where my manners may have let me down.You see I don¢t see hiking and motorcars being ¢complementary¢. I find it baffling why so many hikers hitch even the shortest distances and as a result I had even toyed the idea of trying to walk the whole AT without ever getting into a vehicle. I know it¢s spurious as all my food will come with their fair share of road miles but hey ho the musings of the troubled mind. So while the sensible reply would have been to graciously accept the kind offer, instead I attempted to graciously decline it. ¢Thanks very much, I really appreciate it but I¢m fine thanks.¢ I didn¢t add that I was an idiot, I felt like I had let the man and his generous gesture down ¢ and for what?Then after I had bought my groceries and was half way across the forecourt, pulling up my hood, and heading off into what was quite hard rain, one of the guys from the store came out after me and shouted if I needed a ride. He didn¢t have to, it would have been much easier to have done nothing. I was just passing through after all but no instead he went out of his way to offer assistance he could give to a stranger he thought might benefit. He thought right of course and one again I let him down - ¢Thanks very much, I really appreciate it, but I¢m fine thanks¢. Half assed principles over manners and kindness ¢ I should hang my head in shame.If I ever come to do this Trail a third time I¢m going to accept every single offer of kindness no matter what - I¢m going to be a better person. And in that vein, the nicer Neil would like to give a quick mention to all the nice people he chatted to at the NOC and tonight at the shelter. Also to the nice snake and salamander he met on the Trail and who let him photograph them and especially to those two gentlemen who offered him assistance today. A heartfelt thanks to one and all.