Turning over in his grave

Like every bright shining good intention - there is a dark underbelly of exceptions.

Tried to blog yesterday - but the Fort Wayne Airport decided to keep me off their server. After various delays - I did finally return to SF - feeling older and none the wiser.

Just an observation.

When I lived in Virginia - a bastion of Southern Hospitality - we always celebrated the great Doctor Martin Luther King's birthday. Every Year.

In Indiana - the small town that I live in - where I have actually seen porcelin statues of small black kids fishing and black jockeys holding lamps in front of peoples houses - they have no work or school on MLK day.

In San Francisco - the liberal mecca of the world - work goes on as normal.

How does that work?

Went in for the last two hours yesterday. Still feeling shakey about being there. Mix of anger and anxiety. But I think I can try to choke it down for a couple more months of savings. I can try...

In honor of inappropriate talk - I leave you today with my three favorite stories of crazy talk. I have been guilty most of my life for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time - but these three are my complete favorites.

1

A friend of ours was out with a bunch of people - family and friends. He was meeting them and talking - and they were in this slightly dark restaurant. He was talking to this kid about 12.

Hey dude...There's something on your lip.

Uh...No. That's just my lip. (The kid had a hairlip....)

Oh...Yeah. Um. That's cool. That's cool.

(Whoops)

2

Pulling into the local mall for lunch - two guys from the local production company. The mall is in the more "urban" area of the town.

Hey man - make sure you lock you car here. The blacks will take your stuff.

When you say black - you mean black like my wife?

(And he did mean like his wife. I can't imagine how awkward that lunch was afterwords. But it does make me smile everytime I think of it.)

3

A friend has a friend who was a waiter at a downtown restaurant. Everyone knows in food service - you balance that cynical streak with a customer service streak - and sometimes one overcomes the other.

This guy was kinda a smart ass - but a good worker - playfully teasing his customers and having fun all night. Till this night.

He's bussing food - and its busy. Stopping by tables to offer a little cutting remark and head to the next one.

Stops by a table with a couple out on the town. The wife is cutting up all her husbands food.

OH - what's this? Does mommy need to cut your food for you?

The wife looks up - horrified - as the husband slowly lifts his arms revealing -

STUMPS. NO HANDS.

Waiter goes to the kitchen and never comes out.


So.
There you go.

Have a great day and don't say anything stupid. But if you do - let me know - I'll add you to the list....