Jackie

This is Jackie. She is the owner of a small bar/restaurant in Red Bays. It's a place where locals hang out all day and night to socialize. They got to know us pretty quickly as we often took breaks there from the heat. Pete, with a somewhat racist tone, says that the people of Red Bays are only nice to tourists because we give them money. As that may be true with some, but I didn't see much of that. Jackie even refused our money for most of the drinks we bought. We were more than happy to pay for what we got, but despite the poverty of the town, they still show a love that transcends money.

For me, it showed what a place without an abundance of material possessions can do for human compassion. Living in a place that puts such an importance on material possessions for my whole life has caused me to forget about that. I'm grateful that the people of Red Bays could remind me of this invaluable idea.