Stranger #8

Stranger #8

Hector Cruz

I met Hector while selecting my lunch at Treeberds in downtown Houston Texas.. You can't miss him with his crooked hat and huge smile. I did not know his name he just impressed me that he was so happy and joyful. I found myself returning often not only because they have great food but also because of Hector and his attitude. He quickly knew what I liked and sometimes have it ready for me before I even got to his station.  You can tell he loves serving people. So I made a point to meet him.

I interviewed Hector after he got off work at Treebeards. He told me he has worked here since 2004 and he loves it. “The management here is great and we have a good time joking with each other. It’s a great place to work.”

“I love making people smile. Just to day I had a man that comes here often that never smiles and when I saw him today, I said to myself I’m going to make that man smile today. So I tried talking to him about the holiday season while I was fixing his Jambalaya and rice but I noticed he was not smiling.  So I asked how can  I make you happy today. He said “don’t put too much rice in my Jambalaya.” So how much do you want? And when we finished fixing his plate he was smiling. I told him that I will remember about the rice next time and if I ever put too much rice in, you just tell me I wanta always make it just as you like it. After he left I thought to myself, I think I just made a new friend and that’s kinda cool.”

He told me he talks to people about sports, weather, anything to break the ice and start the conversation. “They are only in my line for a few minutes so it has to be short and quick but hopefully I have helped them,.. you know,.. like, have a have a little bit better day.

The manager Matt Rowden stated that Hector has “quite a following.” ” I know there are people who come here just because of Hector.”

I know that has to be true because it is true for me. You know, when you break off from work and go someplace for lunch, Isn’t it fantastic to have someone who will make you smile and make you feel welcome. Hector always makes me feel like he has been waiting for me to come in and enjoy his Red Beans and Rice. He gives me a nice break from the stresses of the work day and a great start to enjoying my meal.

Stranger #7

Doug and Pat O’Kelley

I met Doug and Pat in a old Texas Dance Hall in Schulenburg, Texas called Sengelmann Hall. I had stopped in Schulenburg for the night specifically so I could go dancing at the old hall. But I was more than disappointed to find out that they were not going to have music and dancing this Friday night. I decided to at least eat here and do my best to support this grand ole building in this beautiful town. I set down and order a beer and a menu and as soon as Doug realized I was sitting alone he quickly insisted I pull my chair over and join them. 

“We’re just sitting here chewing the fat you might as well join in.”

There were 9 people at their table ranging in ages from 40 or so to Doug’s age which I expect is close to 80 (only because he told me he was married to Pat for 58 years) but let me assure you (look for your self in the photo ) they don’t look or act their age. I suspect it is hard to be a stranger for long around Doug.

As soon as I told them I loved old buildings and history they quickly gave me a complete history of this grand old building. Pat gave me a tour of the 2^nd floor dance hall complete with stories of the benches and the wire enclosed bar, the porch (which is fantastic) . Told me of rebuilding the bar from photos, and the 1^st floor backdrop which is stunning (see photo)

“It’s a shame that the locals here don’t support this place much. Most of it’s business comes from out of towners. It’s a shame but it had kind of a ruff start after it was restored and I think the locals have not given them much of a second chance.”

What is amazing about this couple is that they are not from Schulenburg. They moved here in the 1980’s and have grown to love the place. Pat is from Louisiana in fact she kept calling it “my Louisiana”. They meet while they attended collage at LSU.

“The first time I met Doug I did not like him.”  Pat states

“But a year later” Doug interjects “ I found out she had broke up with her boyfriend and I made my move.” He looks at her with great pride and states “Haven’t let go of her since.”

This couple are the true salt of the earth. You can tell they love life and love sharing the beauty of Schulenburg.  I wish I could have spent the entire day with them and let them show me the rest of the town. Both the town and Stengelmann Hall could not have a better ambassador.

Thanks Doug and Pat for taking me in and totally changing my evening. You two really brightened my day. I will never forget you!

Stranger #6

Mike “Elwood” Powell

It seems fitting that I would met Mike at the Blues Fest in Navasota Texas. Oddly enough I had met him (although he does not remember it) at a service station on Interstate10 about two years ago. He was driving a car that mimicked the famous car from the movie “the Blues Brothers” Complete with the great big speaker mounted on the roof. Since it was one of my favorite movies I had to check it out as I walked up to the car out steps “Elwood”. 

“Unfortunately we had to sell the car, it became too big of an expense to keep it up “ ( I could not help but be a bit disappointed because  that would be the best backdrop to photograph  Mike.)

Mike liked being photographed and he was posing with a lot of people at the festival.  It was a little tough getting to know the real Mike. He pretty much stayed in carititure.  Even in his dancing he was moving with the same odd dance moves that “Elwood” would do in the movie.

“So I suppose there is a “Jake?” I ask

“ Yes, he was here last night we did our act here. His name is Steve Boado.”

“How did you two meet?”

“We were both Elvis impersonators.”

“You’re kidding me?” as I’m laughing and choking on my drink.

“No, I’m not, we looked at each other and decided we would work well together impersonating the Blues Brothers and the business and friendship started.”

“How does one make a living as Elwood?”

“Well, our group "The Blues brothers Tribute" does shows like we did here yesterday, we do parties, and I also do DJ services in caricature of course.”

“Do you play an instrument?”

“No, that what’s great about doing Elwood. He only played a harmonica and that is real easy to fake much easier than lip synching.”

Mike is a lot of fun. He love’s what he is doing and he is really, really good at it. I can’t imagine him not being the life of any party. If I was to throw a party he defiantly would be the first person I would think of to do the DJ services.  Don’t we all wish as some point in our lives that we could be someone else? Mike gets to do that on a regular bases and he gets paid for it.

Thank God, there are guys like Mike, they make our world so  much more interesting and fun.

Stranger #5

Richard Ramirez

I met Richard at a street festival in Houston Texas called “White Linen Night” it is held in an area of Houston called “The Heights” which has become a eclectic area of town so I thought that this would be a great place to find another stranger. I was walking around looking at all the booths selling things like magic nut cracking machines to Jewelry to art works.

He was checking out something at a nearby booth. His backpack looked at first glance as if it was some sort of medical device but when I got closer I realized it was a computer that was decorated up and strapped to his back. I walked up and simply stated “That’s an interesting backpack you have on.”

He turned around and said “Thanks it is an invention I created. It is simply the easiest and comfortable way to carry an Imac computer.”

As he turned around I notice a myriad of other electronic gadgets he had attached to himself . His phone was on his wrist which allowed him to view it and enter information into it with his other free hand. “ I can twist it around like this and the camera lens is exposed so that I can capture any photo opportunity that might arise. And see right here along my chest is a digital recorder so I can record any conversation quickly and without any trouble. I can also record any ideas that pop into my head” He states while pointing to the object. (Which, I might add, I was wishing I had at the time to record this conversation.)

We spent some time together talking about how he met his girl friend, his kids (one daughter was with him and the three others who were with their mom), His vocation (which is video documentation).

The lesson here is that this man is very intelligent witty, creative and full of life. A few years ago I might have just passed him by thinking that he was a “nut” just because he looks different than me. But in getting to know him, which took just a few minutes, I found him to be very interesting. The fact that he has the guts to be exactly what he wants to be is very impressive. I hope we can get to know each other much better. I know he has a lot he could teach me.

And besides I really would like to keep my digital recorder a little more handy!

Stranger #4

Wayne Carelock

I met Wayne at the gas station in Houston while we were both filling up our pickups. Just simply said” Hi, how are you?”

“Good, thanks” He responds. “You from Austin?”

I had forgotten I was wearing my “Keep Austin weird” hat. “Oh, no, I just love Austin. It’s one of my favorite cities.”

“Yea it’s a fantastic town” He replies."I live around Austin. I love it.”

He told me he comes to Houston regularly for business. He works for Napo Precast,  a precast concrete company and they do quite a bit of business here in the Houston area.

“So where are you from?” He asks me.

Well I grew up in Lubbock Texas but I now consider my home to be Santa Barbara, California but I rarely go there much.  I tell him about my business and why I’m here in Houston.

“I was raised in Lompoc. It’s defiantly a gorgeous area” He states. (Lompoc is about 40 miles to the north west of Santa Barbara)

“Why did you leave?”

 “My Dad was stationed at Andrews Air Force base but when he was sent to Vietnam my mom moved to Texas and I’ve been here ever since. You know if they could inject an Austin attitude into that West Coast climate, Now that would make the Perfect place.”

“Your kids live here in Texas?”

“I have a daughter here in Houston My son is in New Haven, Connecticut. He doesn’t much like it much up there but He is attending Yale.

“Wow!”

“Yea He’s pretty smart.” He said with pride written all over his face.

As I drive off I begin to think about how we pass up meeting great people every day who are right  there, less than 10 feet away, on the other side of the pump. All we need to do is just open up, start the conversation. What are we scared of?  We have let our mother’s advice, of not talking to strangers, keep us separate from each other.  We have a fear of being thought of as strange or odd, so we just silently stand there and we miss a golden opportunity.  We have to learn to open ourselves up. Release the fear. Don’t let all the negative news stories make us scared of each other. Realize that every person is a wonderful creation of God, with beautiful stories and wonderful gifs to share. All we need to do is ask, reach out. Most people are good decent people.

 And by the way, so are you!

Stranger #3

      Britt Brooks

I met Britt on a flight from Houston to Dallas. So he was a bit of a trapped subject.  As I took my seat I started a conversation. Lucky he was very personable and fantastic conversationalist. He stated he was headed to Dallas to seal a business deal for the company he works for M.B. Environmental, LLC

“Why not just complete the negations over the phone? I ask

“Well sometimes it’s best to look them in the eye.” He states.  

 Isn’t that true?  No matter how well technology has helped  us communicate by using video conferencing, web sites e-mail and phone calls. There is simply nothing better than personal interaction. We seem to get a much better grasp of the other person’s integrity from looking them in their eyes.  The eyes have been called the window to the soul and in my experience anyone lying to me will have trouble maintaining a connection to my gaze during the response.

He told me he grew up in out on a farm in Lynn County, Texas  which is just 30 miles or so south from where I grew up, in Lubbock Texas. We talked at length about growing up in a “dry” county but having no problem as teenagers finding ways to get alcohol.

“We knew that every farmer had a pint of whisky hidden in his tractor cab. We would steal it and leave a note saying that we would pay him back when we get reach 18.” (Which was the drinking age when we both grew up.)

“So did you ever happen to eat at a restaurant located on the corner of the cotton gin yard in Tahoka?

“That would be the Tejeda Café.  My God everyone in Lynn County knows that restaurant.”

“Isn’t it just a regular old house and the grandmother cooks, the mom washes dishes, the kids serve the tables while the Dad watches the cash register?”

“Yep that’s the place; you can’t get more authentic Mexican food than that and you get to eat it right there in their living room.”

I did a bit of research by calling the county clerk in Tahoka and she informed me that the restaurant has moved to the courthouse square in down town Tahoka but is still run by the same family and is still thought of by the town as the best Mexican food around but you won’t have a 10 year old waitress any more. (Somehow that seems a shame.)

Thanks Britt for reminding me of some great memories!

Stranger # "Whoops"

I was really excited about sharing stranger #2. It was going to be a couple. I actually met them last Sunday July 4^th but did not have my camera with me. We talked and I shared with them what I was doing with the “100 Strangers Project” and told them I wanted to include them in the blog. They were excited about the idea and we were going to meet the next Sunday at the same place and take the photos but something changed their minds in the following week and they told me they did not want to be a part of the project.

However, I’m still going to tell you about this couple but not their names nor photos. I met this couple last weekend at Wild West, A country and western club in Houston Texas.  They arrived at 10pm and started dancing. They are something to behold, not just because they were excellent dancers, but because of the bright smiles on their faces. The amazing thing is that they danced to almost every song until the place closed down. I asked a friend about them and she said she thinks they come out three times a week, always around 10pm, only dancing with each other and to almost every song.

I asked the manager at Wild West, Jan Johnston, about the couple this evening before they had arrived. He stated that they have been frequenting the Wild West for 14 years and he swears they have not aged a single day. “They look exactly like they did 14 years ago”. “So what are their names” I ask?   “You know, I don’t even know their names, isn’t that amazing. They keep to themselves, never order anything to drink, if they stop dancing they go off by themselves and then back to dancing on the next song. Never really see them talk to anyone other than a cordial hello.”

Imagine that, fourteen years they have been coming to this establishment and no one here even knows their names.  And it’s not like they don’t stick out, they dress impeccably, she has gorgeous long thick hair flowing down to her waist, He is bald with stunningly good physique. When they dance you can see people point to them. You simply can’t miss them. Yet fourteen years and no one here knows their name.

Not even me. Last week when I met them, I introduced myself but he responded with “Well, Hi Matt, nice to meet you, How can I help you?” in a beautiful Scottish accent, but never told me his name. It did not even dawn on me until this evening. I may not know their names but I will never forget them.

Stranger #1

Linda Lee

I met Linda while she was busy feeding the homeless in downtown Houston.  Right there on the street, no building, no tables, just lots of love.

She told me she started this a few months ago after seeing lots of food go to waste following a catered lunch. She thought she could just pack it up and distribute it out here in the downtown area.  Well it was such a blessing that about 7months ago they started doing it every day. So every day Linda , her daughter Amanda and a few other volunteers cook up a large meal and bring it down to the inter city and distribute it. They simply drive up to this building across from the police department and set the pots on the dock high porch and start serving.

“So who Pays for all of this?” I ask

“Well we do, with the help a few other friends.”

“So,  No 501-C3, no charity group, No thoughts of tax deductions, just done out of the love in your hearts.”

“Yep, God provides” she states in a matter of fact tone.

It was wonderful just standing and watching them interact with the people, their “friends” as she calls them.  “I love to look them in the eyes and treat them with respect” she says.  Many reciprocate by giving her a hug which she gladly receives. One brought her a crumpled up candy bar which she received with grace thanking him for being so kind.

“We now know quite a few of them by name.” she says proudly “and we have watched several get apartments.”

It has become such an important part of their lives that Amanda’s husband proposed to her right here on this street while she was serving. He was around the corner and handed out roses to the people waiting in line with instructions to give them to Amanda. He then came around the corner and proposed to her right in front of the serving line.

They ran out of food the day I met these wonderful people, but Amanda quickly broke out the peanut butter and made a few quick sandwiches.

Amazing people, just out making a difference in the lives of others.  Definitely made a difference in my life today. Thank you Linda Lee for showing the Christ like person you really are.