$8.03

Just a few more days until Santa makes his annual stop... Hope you were good this year... I bet you were...

Do you know what today is? Today marks the winter solstice. This day, our 21st of December, will be the shortest day of the year and this will also be the longest night of the year. I think this is fascinating... And I really dig the fact that it is also the first day of winter. To commemorate, I just took a long sip of something so very good. Yummy, in fact. Here's to feeling the sun standing still. I enjoy these kinds of things.

So... Going anywhere for the holiday? If so, where? How long will your journey be? I ask because it seems that this is a natural question people ask when holidays are nearby. Personally, I'll be by my campfire near my family watching the clouds turn into their usual holiday shapes and sizes. I really enjoy being close to them during this time.

I was just thinking...

The warmth of the season can really be overwhelming for some, but there is also a part of the season that can really affect people in strange ways. It really is the season to be with your family and in that, we recognize the ones that may not have what we have... For many, it's quite possibly the happiest time of year. But for some, this can be the loneliest time of year. It can be so sad for so many for so many different reasons. There is so much under the layers. Do you agree? During this holiday season, find your holiday comfort somewhere and embrace it with with everything you have... I truly hope that you have someone to celebrate your emotions with and I want to know that you have someone to share that perfect holiday memory with... If it's a friend, right on. If it's family, even better. If it's a relative of any sort, embrace it... But if you're alone or are feeling like you are all alone, so be it. Just know that you'll never be alone with me around. I'm here.

The holidays and the spirit of giving and receiving... Sometimes, we help where we can and sometimes we give what we can... Choices. For them, for us. The acts of kindness around this year probably tip the scales as opposed to April and May. This is a good start.

Here's an example of what I am talking about... On Friday, the 4th, I found myself back in Austin. Trying to parallel my auto on a busy 6th Street during Happy Hour, I found the perfect spot near the spot I wanted to enjoy a pint in... I was so thirsty. Clearly struggling to make the perfect park, I noticed a dude in a wheelchair rolling my way from about 20 feet away... He passed me by and as I looked over my left shoulder, I saw him back up... He started waving me in and gave me the best hand signals ever (world-class to be honest)... Two feet here, 1.5 there, hold, come back another foot, etc... You get the picture. After a minute or so, I successfully parked, but before I turned the ignition off, I lowered the window and said, "Dude, thanks for your help, as you can see, I suck at parking, so I really appreciate your help. How 'bout a beer, my treat? You name the flavor and size."

This is what happened next...

Him: "Actually, I can't drink, but I could use some money for a warm meal."
Me: (at this very moment, I made a choice and went with my gut throwing all reason away)
Me: "Check this, what if I just buy you some grub and we'll call it even. I'd like to help you because you really helped me out..."
Him: "Wow, you'd do that? That sounds like a plan. My name is Matthew, by the way." (he offered his good hand)
Me: "And I'm (insert bsm* here). (we shook hands, my right, his right)
Matthew: "Nice to know you."
bsm*: "Right on. What do you have in mind? Lots of choices around us..."
Matthew: "There's this 24 hour place a block up that serves some really good fried chicken. That'll work. (it was 5:05pm)
bsm*: "Fair enough. Chicken it is! Let's go there... I have to ask, how did you get jammed up in a wheelchair?"
Matthew: "I was crushed in a car accident in Florida 7 years ago. It was bad. I came here to Texas to find some better luck."
bsm*: "Gotcha, well, I'm sorry about the accident, that sounds terrible, but you're in a good city. There are worse towns to be in... I'm from Benbrook, myself. Cool. Looks like this is the place!" (the 24 HR sign was huge - could be seen a mile away)
Matthew: "All you have to do is walk to the back and the chicken is there on the left. It's so good!"
bsm*: "Sweet, I'll be back in a few.

(this convenient store had a deep fried aroma to it that was unforgettable in a good way - possibly the best scent ever if you're starving - I wasn't, but still - anyway, I scored the meal (picked 2 pieces out of the 4 remaining) and improvised on a couple of things - so I walked out and waved Matthew over - there was a massive crowd around him and I needed some privacy - just for us)

bsm*: "Okay, dude, here you go... A good lookin' wing, a decent thigh, a bag of Ruffles Sour Cream & Onion potato chips, a chocolate chip cookie (it was as heavy as a small pizza, seriously) and a 20 oz. Coca Cola... I hope this helps, man. You're right, the chicken smells delicious."
Matthew: "You have no idea, bsm*, this is great! Thank you. Thanks a bunch. This will help tonight."
bsm*: "We're good, dude. Merry Christmas, Matthew."
Matthew: "Have a good Christmas, bsm*!"

As I walked towards the corner of the street, some older dude approached me... He walked up next to me and said this, "I saw what you did, man, that was a great thing you just did, saw the whole thing!" I half-replied (as I walked passed him) with, "Not sure what you're talking about, nothing happened..." Something told me that I needed to keep some anonymity, but I'm not sure why... Odd.

I finally made it to a darkened Shakespeare's where 3 people sat watching ESPN. Given the time of day, it looked happily lonely, but it was the perfect place to sit down and think about the season. I placed my order and took my stool. I will say this... The barkeep looked to have poured me an average looking Guinness. Keep in mind that there is a science to pouring the perfect pint (this was far from perfect), but I was not going to complain... Not on this day. It was delicious, but in a different kind of way. My second was even better (thanks to Scooter & Milo). I sat and thought about Matthew and wondered if he enjoyed the meal the way I was enjoying my beer... I also wondered if he flipped it for drugs or bartered it away for a small steak or something... Those were fleeting thoughts and they lasted about 2 seconds each. I really don't care what he did with the bag of grub I bought for him... Like anyone, I hope that he really did enjoy the meal and, as I type this to you, I feel like he did and I would like to believe he even remembers my name. It's not likely that he did, but there is a chance he did and that makes me feel good about the short time I spent on the 300 block of 6th Street. Unlike some things, overanalyzing this encounter was really not an option for me. An hour later, my time there was up and I was off to another something or other.......... I'll always think about my few minutes with Matthew and what that whole tiny episode meant because there was a bigger message at hand.

You might wonder why I would recall such a story because people all over the world do these kinds of things on an hourly basis. Or at least have these kinds of encounters on a weekly basis... Not that it was foreign to me or new to my world, but it was one of those "you had to be there, you had to see the story his eyes told..." I trust you'd do the same, but maybe not... It's cool either way because Matthew's act of kindness towards me will always be remembered in my mind as just that... An act of kindness. My "thank you" to him came in a different form. An edible one that could be considered an act of kindness, but really, it was just another way of saying, "thanks, man." He didn't have to help me and I didn't have to help him. We didn't have to help each other out, but I'm glad we made the effort.

My story's not that special, but I feel like talking about it because it affected me on a certain level that I'll always keep close. I'll never forget his smile because I'm not sure I've ever seen a more thankful smile.

Was I suckered? Maybe. Was I taken advantage of? It's possible. Does it matter? At this time of writing... No.

Is your heart in the right place? I feel like mine is... And here's to keeping it there... Cheers.

Sleep well.

- me

One more thing. Sing your favorite Christmas carol with someone tonight. Make it count.