It is the Little Things That Matter Most
By Angie Brady-Daniels, VP Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce –
Image of a tern on the beach. Seems like one of the little things we need to appreciate.
At a neighborhood cook-out recently, I had the honor of meeting a foreign exchange student from Paris, France who was staying for a short time in the U.S.A. I enjoyed talking to the young man about his travels and experiences and then asked him if how he liked North Carolina and specifically the Outer Banks.
Out of all the replies I normally receive at the Chamber of Commerce, reactions such as I love your beaches, your adventure sports, the lighthouses, the wild horses, your fresh seafood and people, I was a bit shocked by the young man’s reply. He said, “I really love this country because you have Dr. Pepper and peanut butter.”
I smile every time I recall this conversation and around our family dinner table we’ve discussed it a bit over the last few days. This is proof again that it is not the “big” things in life that really make us happy or bring us the fondest memories but the “little” things like Dr. Pepper and peanut butter. These were items he hadn’t experienced before and quickly treasured. I imagine that he posted immediately on his Facebook wall a picture of himself enjoying a Dr. Pepper in front of the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse on the Manteo Waterfront. He couldn’t wait to share how much he enjoyed these items and will forever associate them with this area.
What is your favorite “little thing” about the Outer Banks? What is the item or short list of items that you would miss if tomorrow they were gone? Would it be steamed oysters, fresh fish or shrimp? Would it be the sunsets that color the sky in the Fall or a climb to the top of a favorite lighthouse? Would you miss free beach access and parking to spend the day on the oceanfront by a favorite pier? Would you miss the Elizabethan style parades during the holiday season, First Fridays in Downtown Manteo, art show openings at the Dare County Arts Council Gallery, wine tastings at local Currituck vineyards, climbing atop Jockey’s Ridge to watch summer fireworks, or even the neighbor down the street that waves and smiles each morning as you go to work?
Pause today and be thankful for your “little” things, appreciate them and then share them with our Outer Banks guests. These could be the memories that they take home after their stay with us, the “little thing” that they hadn’t experienced somewhere else and will make them come back next season.
