TOURISM

What then is this thing we know as the spirit of hospitality, and how can we be a part of it? It may be as simple as that moment when we spot tourists downtown waiting to cross Centre Street and we stop our car and with a gentle wave to them we let them cross in front of us. It may be when we are standing in line at a local store, we see the tourist glancing around looking puzzled and we step up and ask if we may help them. It may be that we meet them at the beach, and they ask about our recommendation for a local lunch spot. In fact, unless we work in a local restaurant or hotel where formal hospitality is practiced, most of our interaction with visitors comes out of a spontaneous willingness on our part to show a friendly face and attitude while seeking to help another human being. In short, it is, as your Grandma used to put it, "There are no strangers here; only friends you haven't yet met".

Of course, the other side of this coin is that how visitors speak and behave has a long term effect upon us, and how we react to having many visitors in our midst. If they are friendly and are interested in us and our community it is easy to act accordingly. But, if they are rude and impatient it is hard not to respond in kind. If they talk down to us as mere "locals" it is hard not to get our collective back up, and think, if not say aloud, if they believe that they are better than us, they should go back where they came from.

In short, the wider reputation of our community may rest upon what we say and do today, and even if we sometimes find it difficult to be pleasant to some visitors, we perhaps should give some thought to what is known as an intelligent self-interest. Translation, we reap what we sow!

Cayuga would like to express our thanks to the Fernandina (Florida) Observer for permission to reprint Mac Noden's article.