Tuesday Thoughts...

What I Think I May Know For Sure

"Don't let bitter, unhappy people drag you down to their level. Instead, use their behaviour as an example of how not to behave, and be grateful you are nothing like them"

Sometimes much easier said than done...

We left our beloved Canada last week, completing leg one of our tour (after over six weeks on the road). Ventured into the States for leg two.  It was not a pleasant border experience, best to share the story over a cup of spiked tea. Into Maine we finally crossed, our target destination the town of Portland, Maine, which looked ever so cute in books and online. Upon arrival, we got our gear and off we went to capture sunset pics at the local lighthouse. A dead end road under repair, a few cars full of Americans behind us, you see where this is going...

Never, ever, ever have I been discriminated against (other than being a female in the corporate world, where you learn to suck it up and move forward).  I have never been spit at, had garbage thrown at my feet, been told I am not welcome in town and go back to the country I came from.  Even in our extensive world travels, in Muslim countries, at markets where I was the only female Caucasian blond haired blue eyed for miles around, I never have been a target, spit at with anger and told to return to my own country.

Well it happened, not once, not twice, but three times in Maine, in the good ole' US of A.  The spitting, the garbage throwing, being told I was not welcome in their town and to go back to the country I came from!!!! Suspect if I was on foot, this would have not happened, as I can easily pass for your typical American, however standing outside of our vehicle, with British Columbia Canadian plates, I can only assume the uneducated of America thought I was a blond haired Columbian???  Or could it have been the recent media hype of Canada accepting immigrants that targeted this hate my way???

Once told off and spit at, kept my head held high, did not respond, twice told off, my blood was boiling, managed to keep my mouth shut however three times told off with garbage thrown at me, I used both hands to give the third car in this God forsaken town the good ole' "Trudeau Salute" along with some choice words of exactly what I thought these Americans had become...at that moment in time it felt sooooo good to let it rip!!!

I told JDog to forget about touring the States, and let's hightail back to Canada and get out of this country ASAP!

Yeap, hate to admit it, sad but true, I let three people in the US town of Portland, Maine lower me and became like them, stooping down to their level all the way.  JDog handled me well, once I was calm, he took it a step further and bought me a Maine mug and said everyday when I drink from the mug to let it be a lesson not to go into the gutter of those with clouded judgement, stay true to who I am and never ever ever lose my positive energetic spirt.

Still made JDog hightail it out of Maine the next day, I have absolutely no pictures to share of the State of Maine, as my inspiration was lost for the day.

However the next day, upon entering Massachusetts and exploring for a few days;  finding the tucked away treasures of Cape Cod, wandering the neighbourhoods of Boston (chance meetings with wonderful Bostonians that welcomed us with open arms) and photographing the charm of Rhode Island, I was at peace again.

Lesson learned in all of this, there is negativity all around us, even if we do not go searching for it, it will find us. And when it does, rise above and do not let a few idiots out there cloud your judgement of the rest, don't swallow the poison pill and put a negative slant on the positive that is out there.

If you are going through something like I went through, LMK, send me a private e mail. I will send you my Maine mug along with some funky tea. The Maine mug served as a token for me to rise above, and not let the negativity that is out there get me down, lesson learned. And now I am ready to pass the token on to someone else that may need it.  I have my positive energy back as we forge ahead on our US tour.  

Next up, NYC here we come... #wootwoot!

Peace Out

xo