I Wouldnt Have Had a Clue

I get up each morning with a chuckle inside from something that happened the day before. It is always some sort of humorist twist I have put onto something that happened or I heard and there are times I think people wonder "what the heck is going on inside that head?" But that is what keeps me smiling. I have always said that there is more to get high on in life than one can imagine in just the things that we do.

You just have to listen a bit and think right through what is being said - not getting caught up in the words, the expressions, the circumstances. With that in mind, virtually everything can have a humorist twist. This is not to make fun of anything but the truth is that everything that happens is only an event. We make the "events" more or less than what they are by our reaction to them or our own personal story that we have attached to them.

As a young teen, when I was bored for most any reason, I would head out to the mall, the bus station, most anywhere you can observe people and just sit and watch. "What is that person thinking?" "Where are they from?" I would often observe and then write little stories from my perspective. It was great fun and I kept it all to myself. Then when I was about 55 and sitting in the Atlanta airport waiting to have dinner at a TGIF's at the terminal since my plane was delayed, there was a pleasant young lady that was sitting across from me with her head on what I suspect was her husband's shoulder. Suddenly she looked up at me, her eyes opened wide as if in shock and then proceeded to break out in tears, sobbing almost uncontrollably.

Obviously I was quite taken back. It was me she looked at as if she had seen a ghost. I couldn't go over to her and say anything I was so embarrassed and was just sure that everyone was watching. My goodness, was I that ugly? Was I that scary? I must admit I was really thrown for a loop. Just then they called my name and I got up to be seated and didn't look beyond straight ahead.

I had a pleasant dinner but couldn't get that out of my mind. She had actually freaked me out. Was it the bald head? .a protruding nose? .goofy ears? What???? After dinner I paid my bill. The plane was still delayed another 45 minutes so I sat down again outside the restaurant and began to read a book.

About 10 minutes later who happens to walk out of the restaurant but the same gal and her husband, As they started to pass me by, they briefly stopped and looked my way and continued on. Now I was really bugged and couldn't get it out of my mind. I turned slightly to watch them walk down the corridor when they stopped again. Then she turned around with purpose and started back my way hurriedly without her husband. "Oh boy, what do I do now?" She walked right up to me, waited till I looked up, looked me straight in the eye, cleared her throat and said very quietly "I just wanted you to know that I think you are a very attractive man and you reminded me of my father and I wanted you to know that." Then she turned and walked away.

I have never forgotten that moment and never will. It was not so much what was said but what had preceded it. I must admit that I learned in that moment that I wouldn't have had a clue on this one sitting at the bus station as a teen.

Jeff Gustafson and MyHATT, An international dinner club concept where people get to know people one bite at a time...thank you to The Daily Buzz and my entire MyHATT contributing staff for the educational content for world culture, the history, world traditions, the international menus for this family activity... http://www.myhatt.com