Of all the things that fuel my love for travel,
including exciting destinations and new cultures, I think the interesting people
I meet top my list. It doesn't matter where I go; people want to share
their stories. Maybe I have one of those
faces, or give off a vibe of approachability, but people always seem to strike
up conversations with me. On a plane, in
an elevator, at the hotel lounge, at a tourist destination or in a restaurant,
I always seem to have the privilege of listening to weird and wonderful people
share fascinating tales of insight, heartache, triumph, joy, tragedy, success,
and failure. And sometimes they just
want to bitch about life!
On a
recent business trip to Seattle, I spent an evening exploring Pike’s Place
Market and stopped by the Hard Rock Café for sustenance…and a rock and roll
memorabilia fix! As I scanned the bar
for a seat, a kind looking woman spotted me and said she would move her purse
to make room for me. We started to chat
and she shared her story. Her 17-year-old
son is a bull rider. He was trampled by
a bull, and subsequently spent the last
month in a Seattle hospital getting the specialized medical care he needed to
save his life. The woman’s husband and
three daughters were back in Montana holding down the home front while she
cared for and supported her ailing son 500 miles from home. As I bid the woman good-bye, she headed to Pike’s
Market to buy flowers for the nurses at the hospital. She wanted to show her gratitude for the
loving care they were giving her son. My hat's off to the mother of the young
bull rider from Missoula, Montana. Your courage, resilience and gratitude
touched my heart.