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RICK MacLEAN: Places like RJ’s offer a place to be friends

He’s not a runner, but he’s a friend of a friend. And when we insulted him the first time he looked upset, then, when he saw our smirks, he started to laugh.

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Ask the fans of RJ’s Country Store in Cardigan what ‘in’ means and they’ll likely be able to give you a pretty fair working definition.

“In” is the place you go to be with friends who like you, mock you, and don’t ask what you need before saying yes when you ask if they can do a favour. It’s that place.

RJ’s has been that kind of place for some time. So it was a shock when, on Jan. 13, two people in a white truck decided – why, who knows – to ram it into the front of the building at just before 3 a.m. Then they did it again. And then a third time.

The damage done, the pair ran inside.

If theft was the intent, it didn’t amount to much. A Rubbermaid tote was stolen.

If vandalism was the plan, it worked. Doors, windows and a concrete wall were busted up. The meat cooler, sub coolers and inventory were wrecked.

It hit the people used to coming to the store hard.

“We realized over the past month just how much the store meant to us. You don’t miss it until it’s gone. It’s comfort to have this place here. It’s a connection,” Deanna Curran told a reporter.

Owner Robert Shaw understands. It’s a place where people go to talk about whatever’s going on, he said. “Whether it’s a wedding or death.”

Damage estimates range from $100,000 to $125,000. And that doesn’t include lost revenue from the time the store has been closed. The hope is it’ll reopen sometime in March. Two people were arrested quickly and face charges.

The community got together to prepare a victim impact statement, eager to explain to the country their sense of loss at the attack.

Cardigan store owner faces $125,000 in damages after truck rammed into building

RICK MacLEAN: Sorry, can’t talk. It’s bottom of the eighth

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“A store is not just a place to shop. It is a lifeline … the break-in shattered that sense of safety,” the statement said in part. “This offence did not harm one individual alone. It harmed an entire rural community that depended on this store.”

The “in” spot for our group is the back of a local bookstore, complete with three couches, a key to the washroom, and as much hot chocolate as you care to buy and drink. Oh and two extra-wide chairs able to handle two skinny-butted runners at once if there’s a big crowd and seating is at a premium

And last week, it was home to a hockey game.

Yes, that hockey game. The Canada vs. the U.S. Olympic final at 9 a.m. on Sunday. A most inconvenient time since our group is normally just heading out the door for runs that vary in length from 30 minutes to well over twice that at exactly the same time.

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Being Canadians, our precious corner of the world was pretty much empty last Sunday morning. Just me – no longer willing to risk a touchy knee on running, my cycling bud – fresh from an hour of cross-country skiing. And our non-running friend.

He arrived at the start of the second period. He leaned back in his corner of the couch, the game on my laptop in easy view, and tried not to shout too much or spill his coffee.

“Well,” he announced after the second period. “I’ve got to get going. Things to do.”

I looked at him. Horrified.

“Canada scored after you sat down. You can’t leave now. You’ll jinx them.”

He looked at me, trying to find the jest in my comment. I wasn’t kidding. He sat back down.

As play tightened in the 1-1 third period all three of us slowly inched closer and closer to the laptop’s screen. By the overtime we were shoulder to shoulder. When we lost, there was only silence.

The new guy left first.

My skiing buddy looked at me.

“He stayed,” he said, nodding approvingly.

“He’s one of us,” my buddy said.

He was “in,” we both agreed.

Rick MacLean is an instructor in the journalism program at UPEI. He lives in New Brunswick.

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