A few days ago we went to IHOP for breakfast before Matt left for work. After we were seated, an elderly man hobbled in on one of those canes that you rest your entire forearm on, and settled into the booth kitty-corner from ours.
He wore a tweed sport coat and his shoulders bent very low over his coffee (decaf). He chatted up the waitress while we started our 1,000-calorie French toasts, and I liked him so much I had the impulse to lean over and say hello, or invite him to join us, even. He seemed so confident in his solitude, though, that I didn't. I didn't think he'd even seen us. But then as soon as the waitress left, he lurched across the aisle without his cane--I was worried he would fall--and offered Theo a $2 bill with a shaky hand. "Make my day and put this in her piggy bank," he rasped (her, him, same difference).
I was so delighted I didn't know what to say. Theo did, though; he said "Thank you," or rather signed it. The sign for "thank you" looks a little like blowing a kiss. "She knows what to do!" the man chortled and blew a kiss back and everyone was all smiles. Later I noticed him slip a hefty tip to the lady who bussed his dishes.
I promise I'm not obsessed with old men, by the way.
One of the best parts of having a toddler in tow is that, as long as he isn't screaming, everyone likes him, and the stranger barrier is broken. Making friends with nice strangers actually makes it worth it to endure those times where I want to melt into the floor during a public tantrum. If having babies with me will get kind old men to talk to us, then darn it, I will keep having them. And when I'm old and going to IHOP alone at 7 a.m. then I want to be just like that old man.
i lost your blog but then i found it again! and i'm so glad, because i don't even know you, but you're very charming.
ReplyDeletei love old people, too. and i love that having a toddler around makes people smile. especially a toddler that insists on saying hello to everyone.
and you're pregnant! congratulations to you! and good for you for not finding out the sex of your baby and good for you for wanting to try a VBAC. You can do it! And you will be amazing!
How sweet! 2 dollar bills are good luck, which you probably already knew.
ReplyDeleteWhat a cute story. I too love how that stranger barrier is broken with toddlers. Jacob is always making friends everywhere, and it's actually good for me and my often-publicly-shy self. We've never received money though! Theo will love that story when he's older (well, maybe not the "she" part). :o)
ReplyDeleteAdorable story! My friends and I use to go to Village Inn for birthday breakfast in Jr. High. Anyway, there was this cute old man who was at least 103 who use to sing "Happy Birthday". We loved it! I even have a picture of the guy!!!
ReplyDeleteMy Grandma always gave us $2 bills in our birthday presents. As a kid, I thought it was weird. But now as an adult, I appreciate her more every time I look at my stack of bills. I would never think of using them, because the memory of her is priceless.
ReplyDeleteGretta waves at everyone, these days. Most people wave back without a second thought. But what kind of person doesn't wave back at a baby? Hmmm.
David just got a $2 bill the other day as change at the market. I will save it so we can give it away to a strange toddler when we are old.
ReplyDelete(I am not saying that Theo is starnge, but that we would give it to a toddler that we do not know.)
How adorable!
ReplyDeleteAnd may I just say, you have an extremely well-mannered little boy. Good job, guys.
What was Theo/Lady Lovelylocks wearing that made the man think he was a girl? Because I can understand being confused with the hair. (I like his pretty hair, btw. Does he still have highlights?)
ReplyDeleteIt can be difficult to discern whether he is a boy or a girl given his flowing, highlighted locks. They are getting long and when it's humid they are also curly. Thank you for the compliment. At least once a week I get asked if he is a boy or a girl. I do dress him in very boyish clothes, but it's still hard to tell with one-year-olds. Although when we were in Boston, he was wearing a collared shirt and sweater vest and a lady repeatedly called him a girl. So maybe it is a lost cause.
ReplyDeleteUmmm, he was wearing pajamas. I think the shirt had a dinosaur on it. But, they weren't blue or anything, they were white and tan. So, could be confusing.
How cute! I remember when I was waiting tables and I was serving this older man and when I casually asked, "how are you today?" he said, "better," which prompted me to ask if he was recently sick and he then told me, "no, but shouldn't you always try and do better!" I loved this response so much that that when he left me a 2$ bill for a tip I taped it to my dresser drawer for a reminder to always try and do better.
ReplyDeleteyou are adorable.
ReplyDeletethat is all.
Great story. Babies seem to bring out the best in most folks. And, I got a kick out of a "California Girl" using the term "kitty corner". Thought that was just a southern thing.
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