Nearly 2,000 people came to little ol’ Ridgeway, South Carolina to see some monks, so naturally, I had to see what all the fuss was about. I mean, I used to go walking with my grandma to work when I was a kid and nobody showed up for that. No sound system. No crowd. No proclamation. Nothing. I joke—I was a kid.
As I got closer to the Ridgeway Recreation Center—side note, can we please come up with a more attractive name for that building—cars were lined up everywhere. Highway 21 looked like something important was happening, because something important was happening. I ended up parking in the grassy area near Purity Lodge #42 and made the short walk over.
When I tell you there were people everywhere, I mean everywhere. Standing. Listening. Bundled up. I should’ve worn boots. I couldn’t feel my toes after a while.
And it was cold. Painfully cold. I hate being cold. I would rather be hungry than cold. I briefly considered calling in a favor to get inside, but something told me to stay put, out there with everyone else, listening together through the outdoor speakers. After all, I’m a man of the people, so I had to be where the people were.
The crowd itself was interesting. Some folks stood quietly, locked in. Others shared coffee and snacks. Some were watching the NFL playoff game between the Eagles and the 49ers on their phones. Go Niners.
I looked around and realized I recognized maybe three people. That told me most of these folks weren’t from Ridgeway. So I did what I do. I talked to people. I asked what brought them out. Some came to listen. Some came to meditate. Some just didn’t want to miss what they were calling a historic moment. And honestly, I can’t argue with that. When’s the last time we’ve seen that many people in Ridgeway outside of Pig on the Ridge? Maybe when the Olympic torch passed through on its way to Atlanta.
All walks of life were represented. Buddhist. Christian. Curious. Skeptical. Regardless of belief, one thing felt clear—people are searching. The monks describe their journey as a walk for peace. Their version of peace. What I believe many people are really looking for is community. Connection. Relief from hurt, division, and noise. People are tired, and for a moment, standing together in the cold, it felt like we were breathing the same air.
I’ll wrap it up here before I get myself fired up. Just know this—when nearly 2,000 people show up in the cold to stand together in a small town, that means something. And Ridgeway was part of that story.
Kenny Robertson, an educator and comedian, is a native of Ridgeway.