I ran into a gentlemen a few months ago, let’s call him Rob. Rob is this tall stark white haired man with a white mustache and a thick Boston accent, reminds me of an old man I would ask questions in a bar. I was painting at my gym, a mural midday in the heat. He was banging on the doors, and I was jamming and getting creative on a mural. Somehow I caught him outside, with a package. Signed for it and that was it.
Then fast forward to this past Sunday, August 16, 2020 approximately 11am at Lowe’s. Im covered in sweat, from my morning dog walk with Oak and being defiant without a mask in the garden center. I hear a familiar voice, with a thick Boston accent, ask me what kind of dog I have. Catahoula of course, which I always find entertaining, lovely and amusing when people actually know what she is instead of thinking I just sneezed. He comes over and is amazed by Oakleigh, shows her some love and goes on about his 8 year old Austrailian shepherd, his son, and how the hell he ended up in GA. Rob and I laughed about the lack of flavor here, the lack of culture, lack of good food, lack of good seafood-in fact Rob said this food is shit. I had someone tell me to get good italian food at Olive Garden. I still laugh thinking about his accent and the way he said garden. I admired his honesty about current life shit as he would call it-like masks, he said you won’t find me wearing one of those damn things.
I am pretty sure Rob and I stood chatting in between bees, ferns, and wildflowers at Lowe’s for easily 30mins. It reminded me of my mom’s dad, he always talked to people in line at the store. It is moments like this in the middle of a pandemic that give me a tinge of hope.
I am currently wishing I got Rob’s actual name. He is retired and only handles priority mail for two hours each day and enjoys the rest of the day doing whatever the fuck he wants. He also let me know, he bought a house in 1987 right outside of Boston, for 160k. In 2017, he sold it for 440k after it was already paid off and him and his wife moved to this heat to be closer to their son. He also made it known he didn’t want to be found dead of a heart attack in the snow, after shoveling it. Good point Rob.
THEN it hit me, I realized where I had seen him and it wasn’t on a TV show or in a firehouse. He was my post man. I said you look familiar and I think you delivered to my gym when I was painting one day. He laughed and said dang I was trying to figure out where I know you from, finally figured it out.
Moments. Shit like this happens to me all the time. Stay tuned as I try to document them all.