Never meet your heroes Part 2

Two weeks ago I asked whether meeting the characters from PBH lived up to my expectations. Upon reflection, I have to say that I’m not entirely sure what my expectations were.

I thought it would be strange, for sure. Not only for me but for those I was meeting as well. How much, I wonder, did WAVE participants know about what was going on in London and Glonn between September 2013 and May 2014?

Not a great deal, I would venture. But they knew that someone was writing a book in which they would feature. How did that feel? Were they as nervous about meeting me as I was about meeting them?

Not that I could make out.

Truth is, I probably wasn’t their top priority. Now, don’t get me wrong: everyone was polite, friendly and extremely generous with their time. But for all the bonhomie, I sensed that behind the mask there lay a real seriousness of purpose.

Why? Because, quite simply, WAVE is hard work. It requires patience, stamina and a huge amount of planning.

Moreover, those participating are engaged in struggle that is arguably far more significant: that is, to overcome the general public’s preconceptions about electric mobility.

The greatest compliment I can pay to all those I met is that for one weekend in May I felt like I was part of the same struggle.

And that, I can quite honestly say, is something I did not expect.