In the 24 years that Tom and I have been coming to North Caicos, I've tried and practiced many island activities, from making pre-business transaction chitchat to roasting and eating the local corn to drinking too much. The one I have yet to master is the art of hanging out.
Hanging out is not the same as visiting with people, because the latter involves a conversation. You hang out in silence, just watching the waves or the palm trees swaying or other people walking by. A bottle of beer in the hand is optional.
The Turks and Caicos do not "own" hanging out, of course. It's an activity that cuts across place and race and nationality. I could hang out in Richmond, with all its festivals and restaurants, plus prime hangout spots such as Carytown and North 25th Street.
This place, though, seems to be a hangout heaven. There's a lot of waiting in island life, for ferries and airplanes and low tide and service of any kind. Might as well hang out. And the hangout aids are ubiquitous: There's always a palm frond to stare at, or a lizard to watch, and the ocean that surrounds us never stays still.
Nevertheless, I've found it tricky to master the art. Hanging out requires making peace with silence and getting beyond the guilt of doing nothing. It's not as easy as you might think.
I'm getting better at it, but I'm not there yet. Like yoga, hanging out must be practiced. So excuse me while I go do nothing.
Hanging out is not the same as visiting with people, because the latter involves a conversation. You hang out in silence, just watching the waves or the palm trees swaying or other people walking by. A bottle of beer in the hand is optional.
The Turks and Caicos do not "own" hanging out, of course. It's an activity that cuts across place and race and nationality. I could hang out in Richmond, with all its festivals and restaurants, plus prime hangout spots such as Carytown and North 25th Street.
This place, though, seems to be a hangout heaven. There's a lot of waiting in island life, for ferries and airplanes and low tide and service of any kind. Might as well hang out. And the hangout aids are ubiquitous: There's always a palm frond to stare at, or a lizard to watch, and the ocean that surrounds us never stays still.
Nevertheless, I've found it tricky to master the art. Hanging out requires making peace with silence and getting beyond the guilt of doing nothing. It's not as easy as you might think.
I'm getting better at it, but I'm not there yet. Like yoga, hanging out must be practiced. So excuse me while I go do nothing.
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