Talking to Strangers

The guacamole burger with mozzarella and basil (right) and the best onion rings, ever . . . 

I generally love traveling and for a number of reasons. First, it gets me out of my comfort zone (typically) and allows me to break routine. Secondly, I have the opportunity to take off the blinders that all of us wear when thinking about our surroundings – both here in the U.S. and abroad. And finally, it allows me to people watch.

People Watching

People watching is something I adore. I crave it. There have been times that I live for it. For instance, I’m sitting at the bar just outside my gate having a beer before I depart for a work conference. Typically I am happy being a quiet people watcher. The Lurker, if you will, that watches but does not engage. Today, however, a very talkative older gentleman sits next to me and wants to talk like nobody’s business.

But here’s the thing, not only is he the Godfather of today’s computers, he’s really interesting. He has been working on hardware for 39 years and has traveled everywhere in the United States. Of note, he’s been married to his lovely wife for 40 he tells me. He had been working on computers well before I had, and I was on the “cutting edge” when I took computer class in high school. For those Gen Xer’s out there, remember building out a tree with an X and 0 program? I do and I thought I ruled the world. Heck, writing software was the next “in” career.

Taking Advice

Before heading to the airport today, my husband and I grabbed a bite at Lucky’s 13 in Mendota Heights, Minn. As we were walking in, a random guy says to us, “Hey, you should try the guacamole burger with mozzeralla and basil. You need to add the mozzarella and basil but it will change your life. It’s like the Spidey bite! I expect to be crawling on buildings here shortly.” And off he went.

Hmm, a guacamole burger. Never really contemplated that and especially not with mozzeralla or basil on it. Soo, I took the random advice from a stranger and I tried it. Dee-lish-ous . . . Yuuuummmmy! For those of you that love burgers and are looking to shake things up a bit, try this combination. I paired it with some giant onion rings that were dipped in beer batter. It was a lovely combination overall.

Listening to Conversations

So as I sit and wait for my next flight, I can’t help but listen to the conversation being had by strangers next to me. Most likely like others were doing when I talked to the Godfather of Computers. It’s interesting what people are willing to talk about in public when they are talking to strangers. These folks are talking about divorce, paying taxes and immigration. Interesting stuff. Ooops, they are calling my flight!