Describe a random encounter with a stranger that stuck out positively to you.
A long time ago, like five years back, I was chilling in Mexico. The restaurant, my choice of setting, wasn’t a typical ‘south of the border’ spot, nor was it glamorous. As a matter of fact, there was no dining room to be found. The eatery was simply a crude to-go stand, one with picnic benches situated in front of it. The wood furniture flowed over the side walk and cobbled town road, and the food stand served loaded baked potatoes. The name of the spot was Papas Locos.
There, eating with my girlfriend, we came across Paul. Paul and I were similar in many ways, even if he was twenty years older than me. And meeting him was a fortuitous happening.
Paul was a Canadian who was semi-retired. He subsisted in Mexico by playing in classic rock bands. Since Paul was a drummer, he had spots in three separate groups. So, this guy knew the music scene, he also knew what bars in town offered live music. He gave us a rundown for the week, and, later on, we took full advantage of the info.
But that wasn’t all. We had also learned about the shuttle busses, an affordable mode of transportation to nearby towns. This was very helpful, especially when heading to a crocodile estuary, which was situated in La Manzanilla. The town’s beach was better than the city’s we were staying in. So we had made a day of it.
Besides that, Paul caused me to dream. Later in life, could I do what he was doing: play rock music and live in a seaside Mexican town? It seemed like a wild fantasy, but this guy lived it. You see, earlier in life, I had been a percussionist. Of course, it’s been over twenty five years since I’ve sat behind a drum set, so there might be a little rust…I’m sure I could do it though.
I know, that’s a crazy aspiration, and I’m not really serious about it. But it makes for a fun day dream on a frigid January day. A gull’s cry, a vivid sunset, a resonant echo of lapping waves: that accompanied by the raucous tunes, ones from bands like Nirvana, livening the cobbled streets. Ahh…yeah, I remember that dude!
Have an excellent day!!
Chris Writing Anything 
One response to “Running into Paul”
Dreams about how to live your future are so important! Don’t wait until it’s time to start planning and making your network to get where you’ll be the most you. I’m glad Paul gave you perspective.
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