Travel Blog

1.

Riding my bike around the neighborhood Sunday I came upon a lemonade stand. It was such a rare pleasure to see kids outside – let alone engaged in this throwback activity – that I stopped.

“Thank you,” the mother of the two little vendors said, as I drank my lemonade. “Everybody else has just ignored them.” She was from Missouri, visiting in-laws. “People,” she said, “are not so nice around here.”

2

Yesterday morning at the gym, the old man who shuffles around the island was shuffling on the treadmill, while three women – one wired to an iPod – were engaged in somewhat more strenuous workouts. A fourth woman, a nurse, watched her patient on the stationary bike.

Stepping carefully off the machine, the man turned to everyone and said: “I wish you all a pleasant rest of the day.” None of the women paid him the least bit of attention.

3

Taking my groceries, the cashier at Publix asked how I was.

“OK,” I said perfunctorily, “how are you?”

“I am blessed,” he said, “and truly favored.”