From The Road

I have the app on my iPhone that finds free Wifi and when I'm on the road I usually try to find quaint little coffee shops (just because that's what I like) so that I can catch up on work emails. But, the wireless signal almost always sucks at these types of places and I usually end up wasting my time. However, the Americanos are sometimes pretty good. Anyway, I've given up on the coffee shops and have just been going to McDonald's. I know, I know... That place is totally henious, BUT, the wireless is killer! Since everyone else is cramming Big Macs into their faces and they're not playing computers, the wireless signal is always fast as hell.

SO, I was at this McDonald's in Rancho Cucamonga a couple days ago emailing my coworkers about various things and there was this old man who was sitting a couple tables away from me. He started talking to this woman and basically told her his life story. And I pretty much listened to the whole thing...

He was from Germany but explained how he had come to be in Southern California quite some time ago. He was retired and told her about how he had recently married a woman and filed their taxes jointly. Apparently the woman hadn't paid in a long time (which he didn't know) and the government ended up taking A LOT of their (his) money. They were subsequently divorced and began telling of how hard up he was. He didn't have a job and his house was in foreclosure. Job prospects with grim because of his age (72) and there wasn't much hope in sight. He talked about how he would probably move into his storage unit after he was forced to leave his home. The whole story broke my heart and I couldn't take it anymore, so I l left.

Later the morning I was approached by a man in the parking lot at REI. He asked, "You work for Black Diamond?" The huge ass van covered in logos must have given it away... Talks of climbing gear somehow turned into analyzing the current state of the economy and how so many people are losing their jobs (sorta of ironic, considering what had happened earlier.) He was obviously passionate about the subject and we ended up talking for what seemed like 30 minutes.

So what is the point of all of this? I don't know exactly. I guess it's just as simple as me sharing a couple experiences from the road. But I do know that this is something that I enjoy, connecting with others. Whether it be a close friend at a coffee shop or a random guy in a parking lot. These experiences teach me to be compassionate and how to love. They teach me to be human.