The Real People of Boise
You know how when you travel somewhere you are constantly sizing up the people, trying to figure out if you could live there? Or at the very least, if you were suddenly struck with a burst appendix, would the locals rush to your side and comfort you or step over you as they continue on down the sidewalk? Just me? Well, great news. If your appendix does in fact explode on the streets of Boise, it is my assessment that they will absolutely rush to your side, cradle your head in their lap and possibly even offer you a sip from their Hydro Flask.
There was something downright nostalgic about the way I watched the people of Boise treat each other. Every server greeted me with a smile (yes, they had masks on, but eyes can smile too), and seemed genuinely concerned about my wellbeing, or at least my order. I watched strangers not only interact, but show kindness. A woman gave up her seat at @HydePerk for an elderly gentleman. @HydeandSeek dropped off an item at my friend’s new house to welcome her to the neighborhood. My uber driver to the airport greeted me with a basket of candy and insisted I take granola bars so I wasn’t starving on the plane. Walking across Julia Davis Park a homeless person shouted at me. Know what they said? “Hey! I like your hair!”
Who are these people? In addition to a population surrounded by stunning foothills, a sparkling river nestled with parks and a 26 mile Greenbelt, they are a community that is paying attention to the details and looking out for one another. And this could be the very reason out-of-staters from CA, TX, AR and others are flocking here in droves (my friend included). People want kind. People want considerate. We all used to be that once upon a time.
Now, I know Boise isn’t Utopia (I was cussed out by more than one squirrel), but I was ecstatic to feel like places where people cared about one another still existed even in our collectively exhausted, PTDS COVID state.
Thank you, Boise for the visit, the hospitality and the warm fuzzies. Good luck being the most popular girl at school. Please don’t forget your roots.
