By Brian Lee
As the Langdale ferry whisks another batch of Pender grads off to their future, they might be a little nervous. They might feel that growing up in a tidepool has paced them a step behind their urban counterparts in preparation for whatever unknowns lie on the other side of Howe Sound.
But they shouldn’t worry too much.
I think most PHSS alumni would agree that growing up here provides a rich mix of benefits and handicaps. As this graduating class goes on to college and university, they’ll suddenly sit elbow to elbow with people who, instead of graduating with 13 kids as I did, graduated with 1,300.
They will quickly realize the novelty value of having the smallest grad class by a hundred or so anytime the topic comes up in conversation. Others will laugh, check their hand for six fingers and if they don’t find any, will offer their admiration for overcoming their situation and accept them as “normal.” But I would argue kids graduating from here are more than “normal.”
Most might not recognize how growing up in a town like Pender Harbour bestows certain social advantages. As when I was in school, it’s still not uncommon for groups of friends to span two or three grades. Weekend parties may have been smaller than other places but they also included most of the school, as well as those recently (or not so recently) graduated.
And for such a small town, we have a surprisingly diverse group of characters we’re forced to accommodate.
Ironically, kids in larger schools aren’t forced to meld with the range of personalities that exist.
There may be more of them but they often gravitate to cliques of their own age and type where it would be absurd, or creepy, to hang around with younger or older students, jocks or dorks.
And, in a way, it stunts them.
Out of necessity, kids here benefit from the influence of older friends and in turn learn to appreciate younger ones. They come to oblige a variety of personalities because they have to see them every day. You could liken a Pender grad to “The Canadians” in the Molson Canadian commercials. They are accepted everywhere because they’re humble and can relate to most people but when called upon, can lead the streakers across the quad. In essence, they’re likeable.
Most kids from here also benefit from being forced out of the small town womb in one shot.
It was scary but I recall an instant boost of self-reliance and maturity when I left here to go to school. That’s increasingly rare in “Town” where many, if not most, post-secondary students remain at home for many years after high school.
That’s not to say they won’t face a transition as they hit the streets.
It will take a few weeks to shake off the tendency to say, “Gawwwllee,” at buildings taller than five stories. And the girls will be soooo purty, they’ll just want to hug them all. But much of that small town unworldliness will be shed after the first pub night or a bus ride through the Downtown Eastside.
Harder to pick up is the ability to adapt and relate to the wide variety of people they will come into contact with for the rest of their lives. They should never underestimate the value of that in their career and future relationships.