Interesting Introductions

Jared
St. Louis

While waiting to board the train in Chicago,
I was sitting at a table hovering over my lap top. A man asked if he could join me at the table.
It appeared that where I was sitting
put me in a position where I was
cornering the market on coveted outlets.
He joined me at the table.
As it turned out,
Jared is a Master Sign Language Interpreter.
He has been signing for every 30 years.
As I had studied ASL for 3 years,
I was fascinated w/his profession & his stories.
We've become Facebook friends,
and I look forward to one day sipping with him
at a wine bar he mentioned in St. Louis.

Nick
​& Sylvia
Milwaukee

When you take the train across the country,
you are seated in the dining car
with people who are perfect strangers.
It's a neat way to meet new people over a meal. One lovely couple I met was Nick and Sylvia. Nick studied Latin extensively
at the University of California,
but then he changed directions
and got his law degree.
However, he shifted his course once again
and became a manuscript editor.
Sylvia was a substitute teacher for some time, but before that she was a belly dancer.
The two of them were on their way to LA
for an old school radio show convention.

John
​Atlanta

Another introduction made during a dining session was with a gentleman named John.
Until only very recently
(when I had a conversation with an editor in LA whose entertainment value I'm enamored with),
I have never laughed so much at the dinner table as I did that evening with John
and the two other gents that we sat with.
It seemed that no topic was left untouched,
as we shared stories about nearly anything
and everything there is to talk about.
Disclaimer: I noted above that John is from Atlanta. I don't know that I got that right.
(John, if you read this, please let me know.
I can be reached via [email protected].)

Rodel
DC

Writer & Director
I was sitting in the observation car,
when I a guy took the seat next to me. Not sure how the conversation started, but it didn't stop anytime soon.
We spoke of our pasts
and spoke of plans for the future.
He inspired me, and I tried to reciprocate as best as I could.
He's one of those special people
that you can't help but love
almost immediately.

I never had a brother,
but I felt like I had 2 by the time we stepped off the train,
when we arrived in LA & spent the day together.

Ron
CHICAGO

Musician
When the train made a stop in Albuquerque, I stepped off to stretch & so did Rodel who introduced me to a guy that sat next to him on the train.
His name was Ron.
From the moment on,
the three of us were inseparable. Conversation came naturally,
as we shared music, wine & stories.
I consider them both
'brothers from other mothers'.