After work I decided to make a fruit and vegetable run and on my way into the store I had the nicest conversation with the elderly man the store hired as a greeter.  I’ve seen him before and he’s greeted me and thanked me for shopping there on other occasions but I’ve never taken the time to chat with him until tonight.  He has a massive sunken area on the right side of his head and he explained that he had a brain aneurysm 8 years ago.  He also told me he spent several weeks in a coma followed by a very lengthy amount of time in a wheel chair before he was able to walk again.

In a split second he switched gears and asked if I was married.  He told me he was and that he had 8 grandchildren.  Then he asked if I had any dogs or any pets and I learned that he and his wife have two dachshunds.

I wasn’t in a huge hurry but I told him it was great that he was there greeting people and that I enjoyed our little visit  and then I was off to pick up the items I needed.   After checking out I approached him again and he asked how I was doing.  He told me that 8 years ago he had a brain aneurysm and that he spent several weeks in a coma followed by a very lengthy amount of time in a wheel chair before he was able to walk again.  I saw the gear shift coming so before he asked me if I was married I said, “I think it’s great that you made it through all of that and you’re here right now making people feel welcome every time they walk through the door. ”

He’s a very tall man and his voice is very loud and somewhat abrupt.  He chops off his words and has absolutely no expression on his face and I’m sure there are times people are somewhat leery of what he might say to them and perhaps some are even a bit afraid.  I used to be one of those people but this time I faced him with all that I am and what I saw was a man that had triumphed over some pretty inauspicious odds.  He wasn’t scary.  He wasn’t threatening and he’s worthy of being treated just as well as anyone else in this crazy world and I’m glad I finally took the time to give him a chance to show me just that.