CURRENT MISSION

meet other travelers on the road of life

ABOUT ME

I am easy to talk with about anything.

People say I am a good guest because I can endure silence, and offer the same.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

just signing in

Interests

• dining
• cars
• emergency services

Music, Movies, and Books

a great variety, as long as feelings are evoked and something is appreciated

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

This is a true story from last Christmas, DEC2007:

Last night, I went to the symphony - Winter POPS.

Beforehand, I planned to dine in downtown San Diego, and passed an intersection area where a motorcyclist was being spoken at by a man in the car behind him.

The yelling between them escalated quickly. You know the scene... we have all seen it, perhaps too often. A younger hot motorcyclist all geared up and a middle-age man in a Mercedes are the particulars. The Mercedes was inching up closer to the motorcycle.

Then the man, who was the passenger, got out of the car and the motorcyclist got off the bicycle. They were about 5 feet from each other ... and I got between them, reminding them, "LOOK FELLOWS, IT'S CHRISTMAS... just both back down, it's Christmas. Nobody wants any trouble here."

After repeating that to each individually, making eye contact, and maintaining my space between them, they started backing down until the (apparent wife) driver got out of the car. She was yelling at the motorcyclist. Now I was between her and the motorcyclist, while keeping an eye on the man. I reminded her that "It's Christmas," to which she replied "I don't care if it is Christmas."

She was really escalating it, and I knew serious trouble could brew between her and the motorcyclist: From her, "He did ..." ; from him, "She wasn't looking...."

Who knows what happened, but no physical damage had been done. And I was trying to keep it that way, and prevent any bodily damage. "It's Christmas" was clearly not working.

Traffic was backing up as this was taking place in the middle of a one-way street, blocking two lanes. And then another driver got out of his car. I did not know whose side he was going to be on.

But then it came to me, and I said to them all: "LOOK, NOBODY WANTS TO BE ANYWHERE BUT HOME FOR CHRISTMAS... NO HOSPITALS, NO COURTROOMS, NO JAILS, NO POLICE CARS ... everybody just go home."

I just kept repeating, "NOBODY WANTS TO BE ANYWHERE BUT HOME FOR CHRISTMAS. NOBODY WANTS TO BE ANYWHERE BUT HOME FOR CHRISTMAS. NOBODY WANTS TO BE ANYWHERE BUT HOME FOR CHRISTMAS."

Apparently that is true, because everyone backed down, and just went home, home for Christmas.

I think this is an amazing story because a potentially explosive situation was diffused by stepping in and reminding people what is important in life. I am not a naive person -- sometimes, someone has to do something to remind people they are human beings.

Teach, Learn, Share

Kindness is never a sign of weakness.

I appreciate eccentric people. I received a college scholarship in 1969 that was endowed by an eccentric old man who had died several years previous. I cannot thank him, but I can occasionally show appreciation to others who might be unappreciated regardless of their position in society.

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