We know, we know-- you are so tired of us unexpectedly writing posts about how wonderful the world is and how great people are and how fulfilling it is to trust other people instead of hiding in a cubby waiting for someone to wrong us. So we are going to properly label these sorts of posts. Because the kindess of strangers is killing us in the good sort of way, and we want to tell the internet about it.
Last Saturday night, after meeting new friends in Canada who let us park in their driveway (thanks, Keith and Lindsey!) who also gave us the rundown on how to be proper Canadians (don't carry a gun, be nice to people, everyone gets healthcare, forgive Americans for putting US currency in Canadian parking meters... the usual), we drove south for Livonia, Michigan. And we had a helluva time at Trinity House (thank, Bill and crew-- you are doing wonderful things there). And then, after we found our parking spot in the nearest Walmart and settled in under the end of a 90 degree day, our phones buzzed with a new message.
Duane loved the show, he said. We said thank you. Duane said he wasn't a stalker. We said we believed him. Duane wanted to know if we could park our camper in his driveway for our Tuesday night show so we didn't have to take it into Detroit and also Duane is a professional pet sitter who would watch Butter. We said yes. Then Duane said he was buying us a dinner out on the town. We didn't believe Duane. Duane didn't lie, though.
And that is how a little folk band came to split their sides with the best vegetarian fare Detroit had to offer. This is how two little newlyweds had one of their first nights out free from worry of camper or dog or money. This is how Duane made two people he just met feel like they were the luckiest two people in Michigan.
But, truthfully, it feels inaccurate to call any of this the kindness of strangers. Because after showering in his house and watching Butter face off with his black cat, Ozzy, Duane isn't a stranger, anymore. And that's the problem when strangers are kind. They become our friends.