PHX - LIT and back: 38 hours of madness

Dialogue from a convenient store in the Dallas Fort Worth International airport:

Black Male, "Hey girl, how you doing today?"
White Female, "I'm well, thank you."

She crosses the store and selects a cranberry apple juice from the drink isle. She places it on the counter and begins to dig in her cluttered tote for her wallet.

Black Male, "Is that all for you, girl...you don't want any gum...no candy...no chocolate...?"

He emphasizes this last word.

White Female, "No thanks," without skipping a beat. "I don't like chocolate."
Black Male, "Oooweeee! Those are rocks you're throwing back at me, girl." He chuckles a bit then leans in across the counter. "You don't like chocolate, girl?" His voice gets high pitched when he says chocolate. It makes her laugh.
"I ain't never heard of that. Ain't never heard of that."
White Female, "Nope. Well, I actually don't like sweets."

He bursts into a combination of laughter and shock...spinning around, clapping his hands and spastically hopping up and down.

She picks up her juice and walks back into the busy terminal, smiling the entire way to B38.


The girl, of course, was me. And for some reason, this guy has stuck in my head. It's funny the people and things that stay with you sometimes.

I think it's a safe assumption that this guy got off work that day, and while he was relaxing with his boys, told a story about a girl he met who didn't like sweets...not even chocolate. Our little interaction spread both ways.

And the world becomes a smaller place. And our tales...they travel far beyond the 2,595 miles I traveled in that 38 hours.

Something to ponder.