Like one of the family

What a day this has been
What a rare mood I'm in
Why, it's almost like being in love

There's a smile on my face
For the whole human race
Why, it's almost like being in love

All the music of life seems to be
Like a bell that is ringing for me
And from the way that I feel
When that bell starts to peal
I would swear I was falling
I could swear I was falling
It's almost like being in love
        -- Lerner and Loewe, 1947

For four hours this evening, I was treated like an honored guess by a group of total strangers who knew nothing about me. I was greeted in the most friendly fashion by dozens of people and was thanked repeatedly for what was really nothing more than taking advantage of their hospitality.

After spending about two months in Canada and meeting several hundred people, I feel qualified to offer my opinion that these are very friendly folks. So friendly that a fellow like me is embarrassed by their kindness and hospitality.

When Canadians complain that they are either ignored or misunderstood by Americans, they are right. Few of us have been taught about our neighbors – I know I couldn’t have placed most of the provinces and territories before my trip up here this year – and I suffered from many false assumptions about her history.

But I think our worst shortcoming has been taking this great country for granted and for not making her a true partner. I believe Canada has demonstrated a cooler head when it comes to foreign relations and we might have benefited from paying more attention to a good model.

I’ll write more about tonight’s great experience here in Brooklin, Ontario. It’s late and I’m already likely to get pretty sappy about the wonderful folks who made me feel much more than welcome in their community this evening.

I love America and believe in staying there and helping fight to make her live up to the ideals outlined by our founding fathers. But if I were inclined to leave my homeland, I couldn’t hope to do any better than to simply cross the border into Canada.

My time in Canada is fleeting. But the mystery of Quebec remains ahead, as does a possible addition of travel into Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Isle.

I’m excited about the prospect of spending weeks in the eastern and southeaster United States – regions I’m pretty unfamiliar with. I’ve heard plenty about “southern hospitality;” but I can’t imagine being treated with more hospitality than I found here in Ontario and earlier in the Prairie Provinces, particularly Saskatchewan.

Stand by for some details regarding my night out in Brooklin and for photos of a remarkable unremarkable group of people who live and play here.

Consider yourself at home.
Consider yourself one of the family.
We've taken to you so strong.
It's clear we're going to get along.
Consider yourself well in
Consider yourself part of the furniture.
There isn't a lot to spare.
Who cares?..What ever we've got we share!
        -- Lionel Bart, "Oliver," 1968