Old men in Oregon are just adorable. When I pulled up to a crosswalk today, there was an older gentleman walking who I waved to go ahead. He stopped in front of my car, trying to read my liscense plate. When he could make it out, he said, "Oh! Nebraska!" outloud. I gave him a thumbs up and he mimed shivering to indicate that it was much colder in Nebraska. Or maybe in Oregon. Either way it was pretty adorable.
My Nebraska liscense plate is exciting a lot of comment here. When I pulled up to the Chinese place to get my takeout, a couple dining inside were pointing and talking. That has been happening a lot.
It reminded me of a time back in Hector, NY. There was a little crossroads nearby called Logan. Logan had an old Methodist chruch building, that the Logan community had bought and maintained. It was supported every year with a Christmas bazaar and a Spring bazaar. There were crafts to sell, but the highlight was the mac and cheese they sold. There were several pounds of cheese grated into each batch. So, one year, as Christmas approached, I went up to Logan for my mac and cheese. There were no Hector or Lodi church folks eating, but i saw I lady I knew slightly eating with some friends and she invited me to join them. She introduced me to her friends and one of them said, "Harvey? Are you related to the Harveys in Odessa?" It was a question I often got in that neighborhood.
"No ma'am, all my people are back in Nebraska."
This one little factual statement excited the lady. "Nebraska!" She turned ther companions. "I don't think I've ever met a Nebraskan before! They're kind of rare, aren't they?" I remember thinking, Nebraskans are common as dirt where I come from!" She looked at me again as if I were a rare species of bug pinned to board.
But the fact is, we are kind of rare. Despite providing the world with, Willa Cather, Henry Fonda, Johnny Carson, L. Ron Hubbard, Marg Helgenberger, Dick Cheney and Malcom X, (wouldn't that be a heck of a dinner party?) we are rare. There are 1.7 million people living in Nebraska. When Memorial Stadium is full on a beautiful fall Saturday the crowd of 85,000 is the third largest city in the state. 85,000 is just a blip in the population of other states. I met about 150 other Nebraskans just a week ago at the Oregonians for Nebraska in Portland, but out here on the coast, I am a rarity once again.
Anyway, back to old men in Oregon. Here is my other example, I was standing in front of the case containing eggs in the Safeway the other night, when an older gentleman said to me, "Have they brought the eggs yet?" I looked at him in wonder and gestured to the multiplicity of egg choices in front of us. He opened the ad from the store he had in his hand. "No,they've got a sale on 18 large eggs! You can get a coupon at the front of the store." I smiled and explained that 18 eggs don't stay fresh long enough for one person. He explained about several other things on sale (maybe he is one of those viral marketers for Safeway?) before I could disengage and get my other items. Weird, but still, pretty adorable.
God, we thank you for the kindness of strangers and the strange nature of kindness. Help us when we feel alone and let us know we are surrounded by your love in a way we cannot understand and by your love in our brothers and sisters who are also always around us. Amen.
blessings,
Cindy
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