Little sayings

Little sayings

Little sayings

I took Lauren in for a procedure last Tuesday, a simple one that would only take a few minutes to do.  He was however a little nervous about it, but it was something that needed checking into.  He was having some symptoms that Rose, the head nurse was concerned about.  The doctor’s office is very well run and I have been there often with different people.  The wait is never long, the staff pleasant, so I was sure that things would go without a hitch.  I told Lauren that we would stop off for a late breakfast or an early lunch after he was finished if he so desired and the choice where, was his.

I waited in the front room for about 45 minutes after he went in, when I was called to go back and see him after he was finished.  He was lying there, in a twilight slumber when I went in.  The first thing he said when he opened his eyes was “Papa Jacks, which is where I want to have lunch, an early one”.  I laughed and said ok, you just have to wake up first. 
So after he woke up a bit and we received the good news that his results showed no indication of anything serious, we were off.  Papa Jacks is a seafood restaurant here in Conyers that is not far from where we were at in the first place.  Probably less than a mile, give or take a tenth on either side.  It is a nice place, the food good and not expensive, though the sea food is excellent.  Vicki is the name of the waitress who runs the floor, and I guess she has been there for the three years that the place has been opened.  She has a very pleasant personality and the times that I have been there she was the only one on the floor, doing a more than adequate job.  She seems to love her work, and she perked Lauren up a bit. 

Lauren ordered a oyster poor boy, and I got a seafood salad with a side order of  french fries, which I have a deep, abiding, weakness, for.  I guess most people have foods that they like so much, that they wish they didn’t.  Well I would walk ten miles for a big plate of fries.  Greasy, dry, cold or hot, I will eat them.  Yes it is sad, but there you have it.  I would not walk across the street for ice cream, but fries, well get me my walking shoes.

So when the food came we started to eat.  Lauren told me during the meal in a very gentle voice:  “you know, as I get older (he is 79), I get more and more thankful for just being alive and the many blessings that I receive during the day”.  He said this with such sincerity that it gave me pause and made me ponder.  I guess it is like something that Edmund said (of fond memory) one day to me a few years ago.  I was teasing him about hanging on for so long and how he was in no hurry to move one.  He looked at me, smiled and said:  “we are here for such a short time that it is good to hang on for as long as possible”.  So I guess the timing was good, for the simple saying that Lauren spoke seemed tailor made for me, who often does not show gratitude for the gifts that come my during the day.  Which by the way, when I look, or take the time to observe, are many.

Later during the meal he was setting with his eyes closed, with a very nice smile on his lips, so I teasingly said to him:  “are you praying again?”.  He opened one eye, looked at me and said:  “no I was sleeping.”, which caused me to laugh. 

As we were eating the restaurant started to get busy and Vicki looked like she could use a good pair of roller blades to get around faster; that girl was busy.  So it came time for the bill and Lauren wanted to try the home made Velvet Cake they had for dessert.  He decided to pass it up because he was not that hungry.  So I decided we could share a piece.   He loved it, taking his time and drinking his coffee.  It was a pleasant time spent with him.  Poor Vicki, she was so busy that she forgot our forks, so we ended up using our coffee spoons.  She came and was very sorry about the missing forks, but I said that it is ok, not to worry and I will still give her a tip.  I said it with a laugh to let her know that I was just joking with her.  I tend to have the bad habit of joking with just about everyone and at times I don’t think it is appreciated that much, since not knowing me, some people really don’t know at the time where I am coming from.  Hell half the time I don’t even know.

Little sayings from the people in our lives can have a great impact if listened to.  It is not that they say anything new, though it is said with deep feeling; no it is the timing for the one who is the benefactor of the words of wisdom, often over looked.  Well at least they can be by me.  So like Edmund’s saying, Lauren’s will probably stay with me, hopefully for many years, pointing the way cultivating the habit of simply being grateful.