You could be mistaken for thinking that Main Street, through Mount Currie, is a road. Granted, it is a smooth surface, coated in bitumen, with two lanes. It’s the route you need to drive if you’re passing through. There are signs (many asking people to PLEASE, slow down) alongside it. It does look like a road.

But it’s more than a road. It’s a through-fare. And it’s a community artery. It’s the way elders stroll, and daycare kids walk and small people practice riding their first pedal bikes with careful dads close by.

It is courteous and respectful to slow down to the posted speed limit, which is 30km/hour.

This can be hard, if you’re distracted, your mind is racing or you’re running late. Yes, all of these things.

But I have found that something quite remarkable happens when you life your foot off the accelerator and slow down to a careful crawl when you drive down Main Street…. things are no longer a blur. You are not a blur within the beast of your vehicle. The people in the neighbourhood are not a passing blur. You realize, this is a community. You make eye-contact. You nod and smile and acknowledge each other. You might notice that Mr Wallace is out changing up his festive lights. You might notice that the wild cherry trees are budding. You might notice the Stop sign that is also written in Ucwalmícwts, and you might try to sound out the word t̓allec and you might wonder, hmm, how do you say that, and you might even then download the First Voices app and look it up.

You become more present to where you are… and that is a beautiful thing.

So do yourself a favour, when you’re driving down Main Street. Take it easy. And give all the strollers, the toddlers, the elders, the animals, the foot-commuters, the folk, enough breathing room too.