No Complaining in Galesburg, Illinois

While I was getting dressed this morning, I had the TV on a local news channel.  I wasn't listening intently, but I did catch part of a story about complaining.  It seems a lady who lives in Galesburg, Illinois had gotten tired of hearing folks in her town complain about things all day long.  She wanted to do something about it.

I guess she went to her city council meeting or something like that (remember, I wasn't listening closely) to try to get them to do something about all the negativity in the town.  They heard her arguments on the topic and (maybe to shut her up) they created a once-a-month "No Complaining Day" in the town of Galesburg.  Galesburg is a little north and then west of Peoria. 

This whole process seemed a little stupid to me, but it got me to thinking about the issue of complaining.  We've been RVing since 1988, and we have come across a whole bunch of other RV folks on our trips and in RV parks and most of them are friendly, happy people.  Oh, you'll always find a grumpy-butt somewhere in your travels, but mostly they are a non-complaining bunch.

Not that being an RVer means you have nothing to complain about...it just seems that the overall joy of traveling or living in an RV supersedes the neccessity to complain.  An RVer may have some health concerns or financial concerns, or any number of other issues that are troublesome....but you don't get an earful from them about it.  Most of the time when we happen to come upon a person or couple that RV's, we are just sharing the thrill of the RV experience and exchanging tips or ideas that are helpful.

In 1997, we spent 5 weeks up on the Blue Ridge Parkway dry camping in the various parks along the way from the north end to the south end.  We stopped for several days at Rocky Knob Park, south of the Roanoke area.     As we were walking around one of the camp loops one day, we stopped to talk to an older couple that were sitting beside a huge Airstream travel trailer.  They offered us a chance to sit and talk for a while.  In the process of the conversation, they told us they had been coming to the parkway from the flat lands of North Carolina for many years so they could cool off in the summer heat.  They had traveled all over the U.S. and parts of Canada during their RV years.  They then told us that the trip they were on was going to be their last.  The man said, "we've just given up any enthusiasm for it anymore".  He wasn't complaining, just stating a fact.  He told us his age was 87 years.  I'm thinking....he's probably just tired!  At 87 years old, most folks just want to slow down and "set a while".   But he was so happy, and so was his wife.  They shared with us some of the places they'd been to and how they always went to the Airstream rallies over the years.  Anyway, we waved goodbye and set off back to our own RV to enjoy the cool day. 

At the same campground that year, we camped next to 3 brothers and their wives.  Each had their own camper.  One had a truck mounted camper, one had a travel trailer and the other had a Class C motorhome.  (by the way: folks in the south call all RV's campers....you could have a $500,000 DP and they'll call it a camper...just the way it is there, and you must not be offended)  Well, these 3 brothers were a hoot.  They were well up in their late 70's and still having the time of their lives.  We spent 3 days camped next to them and we heard such great stories from them.  Never heard a word of complaint from any of the 6 of them.  

Maybe we've just been lucky to find fun, happy people to meet and talk with.  But I really think it has more to do with this whole RV lifestyle.  Doesn't matter if you are a fulltimer like us, a part timer, a short term vacation traveler....seems everyone loves what they are doing.  Check out the other blogs displayed on my Blog List and you'll read posts from the other bloggers....they are all happy folks enjoying the things that are important to them. 

RVer's come from all walks of life and experiences.  Seems that when we meet or get together none of that matters because we are all sharing something we have in common....the joy of an RV life.

DISCLAIMER:  I'm not saying that the nice folks in Galesburg, Illinois have nothing to complain about.  I don't know exactly what their complaints were, but given this economy and the state of the nation, there are plenty of things to worry about and complain about.  I am just posting my story about the "non-complaining" RVer's we've come across in 21 years of RV travel.

Until next time.....so long for now!