Someone, a school teacher, and the newest person at the table, asked how we all knew each other. We were having dinner on the deck as the world spun by, enjoying a nice evening out on a warm autumn night. There were people around, but we were probably the loudest and definitely the funniest.
And I realized, as I looked around this table, that I was the strongest link. I’m almost never the strong link. I win the table!
Silly, I know.
There was my friend from undergrad, who was back in town for the game this weekend. She’s a missionary in England, where she’s somehow working magic with free trade coffee growers and … it was a long and complicated story. There was Brian, who’s down to cover the football game. We worked together and have been friends for years, of course.
There was The Yankee, who as usual found herself outnumbered. Everybody at the table was from Alabama or Georgia.
(I told the story again of the time last summer when a man in overalls found out she was from Connecticut and he pulled out his .45 and showed off his AR-15.)
Across from her was the Army officer. We only met last year, but he grew up in all of the same places as I did and he majored in history. We get along. With him was his date, the teacher. And she was a pistol. We think we approve, but it turns out she’s a Georgia Bulldog, so we’re on the fence.
It was a fine time with nice people. After yogurt we spent the rest of the evening watching YouTube videos on the television.
What did people do before YouTube? This is a great way to evaluate the sense of humor of people.
Here’s the Army version of Call Me Maybe:
Think the mortar crew was zeroing in? Think they had to work hard to talk the Afghanis into dancing along?
