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You know someone has had a fabulous vacation when they come home with braggin' rights. In the Smoky Mountains region that might include, "saw Dolly at Dollywood," "touched a stingray at Ripley's Aquarium," "hiked to Mt. LeConte," or "saw a bear in Cades Cove."
Usually, braggin' rights are documented with a photo and digital cameras have made the process so much simplier and cheeper. And now, thanks to the social media, such as MySpace, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, someone's brag can be heard around the world in just a few moments.
Sometimes, braggin' rights come in the form of the unexpected. (Can someone say Susan Boyle?) Last year while my daughters and I were waiting for a ride out of Elkmont, we met Toni, the park ranger. We were returning home with the braggin rights we came for: synchronus fireflies. However, it was our encounter with Toni and her inspiring story that made that evening an unexpected pleasure. Seth Godin might call it a "purple cow."
Last Saturday, some new friends from the AAA Auto Club joined me and my friend Walter for a short, guided hike behind the Sugarlands Visitor Center. There to greet us was our guide, Toni. She can really "wow" an audience with her humor, her heart and her perspective on nature and life.
Along the hike, a young lady out from nowhere with a book in her hand, caught up to Toni and asked for her autograph. (Gathering braggin' rights I'm sure.) Toni's story is now in a book sold at the park's gift shop.
Along the hike, Toni took us to the smallest waterfall in the park, Cataract Falls. One blogger called it "nothing great." Too bad the writer was not on Toni's hike. Someone missed out on a life lesson from a park ranger with cerebral palsy. She reminded us that waterfalls and people don't have to all be alike to be beautiful and useful.
That day, numerous guests on the hike documented their own braggin' rights: standing next to Toni in front of the smallest waterfall in the park. Two unexpected treasures inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
