Being a practicing observer of people and seeker of adventure (check the name, cowboy), my recent escapades have proved to be all of exhilarating. The more people I meet, and the more open I am to their stories, the more an overall feeling of peace consumes me.
After my 4a.m. run-in with a police officer after running a light then running out of gas (run, in case you didn’t know, is the word of the day), I walked to the closest open gas station. It was closed for “cleaning”. My stomach began to rumble since, after all, the whole reason I was out so late was to buy groceries. I spotted a nearby Waffle House (known by my friends and I as the “Awful House”). I opted to put aside my obvious prejudice against the place in order to STAY ALIVE.
Once inside, I chose a seat a couple stools down from the only other customer, who was, you guessed it, three sheets to the wind. This is the type of guy that a person of my status, that being “unique in a trashy kind of way”, would never admit to finding attractive, but secretly fantasizes about having his babies. He struck me as a metrosexual; his long, well-maintained, curly locks of highlighted hair gave me a hint.
He spoke. I said “What?” He said, “Oh, I wasn’t talking to you.” You must understand that this was somewhat confusing considering I was the only other person around. I noticed a cell phone sitting next to him and realized he had been mumbling negative statements in it’s direction. It rang. He picked it up and proceeded to make a statement that was near impossible for me to ignore: “If I never have to see your face again, I’ll be the happiest man alive.” *click* Okay, so he’s a little blunt. We could still make it work.
Another ring, another not-so-nice response, another hang up. Then, he says aloud (this time it has to be intended for me), “I just don’t feel like dealing with her bullshit tonight.” This is what came out of my mouth: “And, yet, you answered the phone a second time.” This seemed to be an invitation for him to enlighten me on his life and hardships. I continued to be honest concerning how I felt about his situation, and his appreciation for my sincerity marked him in my mind as mature. He paid for my meal, gave me a hug, said, “I’ll probably never see you again, but it’s been a pleasure,” and he left.
This was not a romantic encounter. This was one of those rare experiences when one realizes that we are all part of one whole. We all need each other for our lives to hold any meaning. Being willing to listen and offer a little truth in a world of deceit is refreshing to even the most jaded of souls.
I walked out of the restaurant (if that’s what you want to refer to it as) with a renewed sense of purpose. I was smiling…
Until I remembered my gas tank was still empty.
Trinitie