Thankful Thursdays…For Waiting Rooms
and Good Ole Boys
Most people I know would rather have a root canal than wait in the airport, a long line, or the doctor’s office. While it’s not my favorite activity, I think it’s fun to observe people. You never know what you’ll learn or who you’ll meet.
The other day, while waiting for Larry to have one of his eyes tweaked. (from his cataract surgery a few years ago) I had the opportunity to chat with my favorite character…a good ole Texas boy.
An older gentleman walked in, sat on a loveseat, and promptly tried to get up. I asked if he needed help but he thanked me and said “no.” He explained that he and his wife had one like this and they always had trouble getting out of it.
This began a delightful conversation about his home on the hill. I learned he’d spent over 20 years working for Caterpillar, attended Lamar University, and moved out of the city after he retired.
He told me about buying two light poles for the house he built up on the hill. The company charged him the same price for a used pole as they did for a new one. 
After expressing his concern, the good ole boy got them to give him the used pole for free.
He and his wife went out every weekend to “observe” the property and decide where to put the stakes for the house they planned on building.
I asked him if he still lived on the hill.
“Heck no! I’m 84! I gave it to my kids! I got all of the paperwork out of the way!”
...and with that, he headed back for his exam. There was so much more of his story I wanted to hear!
When I returned to Houston in 2019, I realized how much I’d missed Texas Twang and good ole boys.
The secret to communicating with strangers is to be comfortable with uncertainty.
Malcolm Gladwell
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