A recent incident reminded Alfred Unger why he loves living in Langdon.
Unger said he was waiting to receive his pension cheque at the end of April, but had not received it in the mail by the usual date. Thinking he might need to contact the government to issue a replacement cheque, he was moved when he saw on April 30 that someone had left the cheque on his doorstep.
“I hadn’t heard the door bell or anything, but someone got it in their mail and took the time to make it find its proper home,” he said. “I thought, ‘Isn’t that awesome?’”
Unger was so moved by the anonymous act of generosity that he decided to create a video about the incident, which he posted to a Langdon community Facebook page. He recounted the tale while sitting on his deck in the sunshine, highlighting how the incident reminded him of the strong sense of community that exists in Langdon.
“It’s just one of those things, being in a small community,” he said. “We’ve got some great people in Langdon. There are great people everywhere, but we have great neighbours who took the effort.
“I thought, I could say nothing, or I could put a post out or make a little video. I thought, I’ll just put it out there to say thanks and acknowledge this person, who I had no idea who it was.”
The response to the short video from Langdonites was overwhelmingly positive, according to Unger. He said there were more than 100 positive reactions and comments.
After posting the video, he received a message from Monique Briggs, who was the Good Samaritan who had returned the cheque to Unger’s doorstep.
“It was really neat to connect that way,” said Unger, adding he’d like to thank Briggs for taking the time to find the cheque’s rightful owner. “It was pretty awesome. It’s a small act of kindness, but the ripples it sent out just reminded me there’s still a little bit of light despite the lot of darkness.”
Unger has called Langdon home for roughly 20 years. Originally from Coaldale, Alta., he has also lived in Calgary and Richmond, B.C.
He said his family moved to Langdon in the early 2000s, seeking a bigger lot and a small-town atmosphere. Since moving to the hamlet, he said he’s enjoyed connecting with his neighbours and community on a deeper level than other places he’s lived.
“Generally speaking, people come to Langdon because it is a small town,” he said. “I don’t know if rural is the right word, but people do care about each other. I’m sure people care about each other in big cities as well, but it seems to be more anonymous in big cities, where you’re just one of a million, whereas in a smaller town, you actually meet people. It’s more personal and friendly.”
While it was just a small act of kindness, Unger said the return of his pension cheque was even more meaningful given the continued negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“During this time of COVID, there has been so much isolation and that small-town atmosphere lends itself to a spirit of community you often don’t get in larger centres in the same way,” he said.
“The feeling of community, that only happens when everyone cares a little bit and it makes it a special place to live. We’ve had numerous situations where neighbours reached out to us, and it’s been special. Thank you to everyone who lives in our wonderful little town.”
Scott Strasser, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @scottstrasser19
