a stranger named brad.



monday night, brad and i had just gotten back from a *ski trip and needed to go to grocery in order to eat, so we did what any other highly intelligent folks would do.
headed to the cheesecake factory.


we had gotten a gift card for christmas so decided monday night was the night, actually monday late afternoon.  
it's my story...it can be night.  
except we missed the memo that everyone else in nashville and the surrounding cities also received gift cards for christmas and decided they were craving cheesecake as well.  and when i say everyone, everyone.
if you are reading this and you live in nashville or close, i bet you were there.  weren't you?

so as the routine goes, when the wait is the entire year of 2012, you stalk the bar and hope a table opens since they are first come, first serve.  
wasn't long before a mob like larger older man motioned for us to come over.  he was dressed in an all black suit with a long black wool overcoat with black reyban sunglasses.  the only color was the red of his tie.  since he motioned us over, i assumed he was leaving and giving us his table.
no.
he just wanted company.

so what would have been a quick dinner with an easy conversation with brad and myself turned into with dinner with a stranger.  
a stranger named brad.
we talked business deals, we talking music business, we talked about nashville, los angeles and everything in between. we talked about his college aged son, how he was lonely and his house was too big.  we talked about his girlfriend, who very much resembled a twenty year old pam anderson.  he showed my her picture on his flip phone clad in her white string bikini. to which i replied at a loss for words, "well, doesn't she have a cute little body!" then he went on to say, "well, everything on her is fake, her nose, her hair, her boobs.  fake.  awww, but she's a good girl and we are best friends." 
to which i wanted to say..."yeah, i bet your best friends..."
but said, "well, that is wonderful.  its what's on the inside that matters anyway."
to which he replied, "well, i don't know about that..."

he was a character in a half.  but you know what, he was lonely.  you could see it in his eyes.  he called us over for dinner when he saw a couple needing a table and hoped we would stay.  and stay we did.

and for the next two hours or so, we talked about everything he wanted to talk about.  
we listened. 
and gave him time.

it wasn't anything special about us.  we were just fillers at his table that made him not as lonely that night.
simply because we made him not alone.

i want to think we made his night a little better.  i am sure as soon as we left, he called some other least expecting stranger over and told his tale to them and they probably sat and listened.

and can i tell you that ten minutes into realizing that we had been "duked" and we were guest at his table, our table became available and the kindness of my husband said we would just stay with brad, the stranger.  and i am so glad we did.

several times he got up to use the restroom and both times he said, "now y'all don't leave until i come back."
lonely.  
and monday night we were present in his life.

and what started out as a stranger felt like a friend as we walked away.
and i hope his heart was happy.
and a little less lonely.



Source: etsy.com via Terri on Pinterest

5 comments:

Sweet Carolina Grace said...

Aw, how sad and sweet at the same time. Y'all are good people. :)

Daydream Believer said...

I am happy you were there for him. You're good people!

jessica dukes said...

we aren't special. We were just in the right place at the right time for him. turned out to be a fun night and one we will talk about forever. love making memories.

Unknown said...

It's fun when you can meet someone new like that. Even though you'll probably never see him again, it was a time he needed someone to talk to and you made that time better. Very cool.

Ashley said...

I think that is wonderful. Often times, when we go to dinner or lunch, I wonder if the people sitting alone are lonely. Multiple times I have told hubby we should invite people to dine with us.... but he thinks people would be crazy to want to sit with us and our two kids! He's probably right... but still I get a little sad seeing people alone.

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