Making Friends

Having a dog is handy; I knew that before coming here. In fact, if I hadn’t had Scout, I’m not sure I would have been brave enough to make this move. People talk to people with dogs. I lived 10 years in my neighbourhood back home before getting Scout, and in the 10 weeks after her arrival, I had met more of my neighbours than in the previous decade.

On top of the canine connection, my accent is a talking point. One day last week, in a single walk, I met Skye & her owner, who suggested we take the dogs for a walk up the hills one day. About 10 minutes later I ran into Buddy & his owner, who told me all sorts of gossip about the town. And then, on the way home, we met Bertie and his owner. After chatting for a few minutes, she invited me to join her group of ‘walkers’; they go out for a one-hour walk in a different part of town each Friday, then stop for a cup of tea. I’ve joined them twice now, and everyone is very friendly.

This same lady invited me to her home on Sunday afternoon for tea and cookies (biscuits) with her and her husband. I had a lovely time. Granted, he doesn’t think too highly of my old employer because of a run in he had with a branch in Edmonton sometime in the 1960’s, but as a banker you get used to that. If someone gets poor service at the Lancôme counter at The Bay, they don’t stop shopping at every Bay store, or give up on all Lancôme products, they just avoid that counter for a few months. But, one screwed-up mortgage payment in 1992, and that’s it – that bank (whichever one it is), is to be maligned for all eternity. Ah well, once he unburdened himself of that complaint, we had a very nice time.

And, last night, I plucked up my courage and went down to the library to join the Thursday Supper Club. I had no idea what to expect, but I figured the only way to meet people is to get out there. It was a group of about a dozen very nice women, who chat about food, share recipes, and just generally compare culinary notes. I’m so glad I went; everyone was very welcoming, and I got some new recipes.

None of this has been easy, not only from a getting-oneself-out-there perspective, but also in a COVID world. But I’ve decided – the whole point of two vaccinations and a booster was so I would be able to resume some form of a normal life, and not stay hidden away. Kirkwall, here I come.