North Idaho love affair blossoms
This particular column has been swirling around for months, kind of sitting like some invisible ghost in my computer.
At times I’d think it absolutely must find its way into print, but then there were moments when it seemed that the entire idea was, I don’t know …
Corny?
Mushy?
Finally, though, an ever-smiling 17-year old girl named Haelymae Daniels pushed the thing over the edge.
More on Ms. Daniels in a sec, but here’s what I’ve been wanting so much to say …
People in North Idaho are amazingly nice.
Imagine that I’m tossing a bouquet to all of you.
Let’s see, I’ve lived in Kootenai County almost two years now, and I have that same thought just about every day.
It keeps coming back, this notion that somehow I’ve landed among pretty much the neatest folk you could ever find.
The surroundings here are gorgeous, sure. I have a neat job and all of that, but I absolutely love living here because of my neighbors — the ones close by and even the ones in stores, parks, and street corners that I haven’t even met.
Not yet, but I’m looking forward to it.
One thing stunning about this, really, is that as a columnist — a person paid for occasional opinions — you ultimately are going to write something that can put a public figure in a poor light.
Yes, that’s happened, and the subjects of those columns naturally have gotten upset.
But after a conversation, or some kind of explanation, they almost always make peace and understand that my comments weren’t meant to be personal.
Believe it or not, quite a few of my real friends are people I met through a column reference with which they disagreed.
That is very, very rare.
ARE YOU thinking I’ve forgotten the story of Haelymae Daniels?
Not a chance.
Ms. Daniels is just one of some terrific young kids who’ve convinced me that North Idaho must be covered with stardust. For instance, there’s cheeky Taylor Vaughn at the spa, who’s always needling me about something.
Anyhow, Haelymae works at the Super 1 grocery palace in Rathdrum, and one night she happened to be bagging my stuff as the clerk was ringing it up.
“Let me help you take this to the car,” she said, while arranging bags in a cart.
The girl is about 90 pounds max when soaking wet, but she was grinning through her braces and refusing to take no for an answer.
I was expecting to handle the bags myself with no problem — but Haelymae simply smiled and trotted off with my cart.
I found out later that she attends Lakeland High, but she’s also taking classes at North Idaho College and ultimately plans to be a pediatrician.
Of course she does.
The point here is that North Idaho appears filled with smiling young citizens who are not cynical, who don’t hate the world or the adults in it — and who eventually turn into all these wonderful older folk I’ve had the privilege to meet.
Even our army of California transplants all seem to arrive smiling.
Look, I’ve been around this country and even the world, and I’ve never met people like this — people who give your life a lift, day after day.
Amazing.
Can I say again that I love it?
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Steve Cameron is a columnist for The Press.
Email: scameron@cdapress.com.
Twitter: @BrandNewDayCDA