Carpenteria State Park, CA
I spent my last morning at the ocean, right at the beach, across from my campsite. I will have to say, with the wind, at 63,° it was chilly, but comfortable with my winter cap and jacket. The marine layer was hanging around, and prevented the sun from coming out. I reluctantly pulled myself away right before noon, and got ready to hit the road for an over 3 1/2 hour drive towards San Diego.
I wish I could say that I had the time to visit some relatives in the area, but this was going to be a quick pit stop to have my spare tire rack mounted, then home. I got to the shop just before 4 p.m. and the guys said they could mount the rack right away! I was surprised, but of course welcomed the chance to take care of it today. In less than an hour they were done, and I could settle into one of their parking spaces for my last night before heading home. The shop next door apparently has a night shift, and Nick, from Persia, stopped by for a chat. He brought some Persian tea and sugar cubes for me, in the early evening. It was nice of him, even though I am not a tea drinker, I appreciated the gesture, though with an error to caution, I did not drink the tea. But then about 2 hours later, he brought me a barbecue platter, shish kabobs with chicken, onions, peppers and saffron rice. OMG, It was like a resort in the parking lot. He was very sweet, and I couldn't thank him enough for his kind act for a "weary" traveler! Who brings a stranger dinner? I was confused, and stunned over the gesture, You are awesome, Nick. And I survived the risk. I knew it was fine, because Jo Jo was all over it. He is a chicken man.
By 5:15am I was up and started the journey back home to Cave Creek. What a great little trip, and another worthwhile adventure!
Isn't it amazing that we are so unused to random acts of kindness that we are wary and stunned?
ReplyDeleteYes, thats for sure, and thats a sad thing. And not that it matters, but he was from "Persia." Meaning likely from Irag, or Iran, and probably cant really admit that (still) in this 2020 reality. He talked about his teenage daughters, with pride. It was a great, heart warming experience, and totally unexpected! He creates leather crafted holsters, many of them going to AZ. What a fabulous, and diverse country, and I love these unique encounters!
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