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14 comments:
I really thought this post might elicit some storytelling. As usual, I shouldn't "ass-u-me"!
So just because there is space here to do it, I'll relate a story:
Mom and Dad were on their way to visit us. We didn't know whether they were coming in their RV or their station wagon, it really didn't matter. We were just looking forward to sharing time with them. They normally were on the road at 8 or 9 A.M., which put them in our drive about 2 in the afternoon.
Two O'Clock passed.
Three O'Clock.
Five.
Now I'm worried.
When the sun was gone I got on the phone to our State Police. Not knowing which vehicle they were driving was a problem...
I don't know what vehicle to inquire about. Our State Police knew nothing...
Nor does the Indiana State Police.
No phone call. No information at all. This is unlike my parents... Both Sara Jean and I are nearly in tears.
At about 7 P.M. the RV pulls into the drive. I'm furious but bite my tongue, waiting for the explanation. And they have one:
Coming through Lyons, Indiana, the engine on the RV stops dead.
No sputter. No running rough.
Stops. Dead.
They pull to the side of the road and Dad checks the obvious things, and finds nothing easy.
A couple guys pull up and ask if they need help. Dad tells them what happened and one of them says, "Sounds like it's brain dead." The other one says "Yep, sounds like it's brain dead."
Then the first one says, "I think I might have what you need. I'll be right back."
Half an hour later he returns with a black box... the engine control computer from a Mercury he has parked "out back" of his house. He removes the computer from the RV and installs the one he brought.
It works.
And he doesn't want money for the part or the work he's done.
Dad forces him to at least take money for the computer.
Ya know why none of us are surprised by this story?
We're accustomed to this kind of behavior.
We're all Hoosiers.
Sorry GB, not enough time to post the whole thing now, but will tomorrow A.M. Brief story about someone connected to a company that I used to work for (from N.J.) See you in the morning!
dj
P.S. You're right, that's just something you do, I mean the guy just had it "out back" in case someone needed a spare part. Wasn't taking up that much room and he might need a door handle or something one of these days.
OK, I wasn't thinking about the post needing "good Hoosier hospitality stories".
A few years back Cissy's daughter was getting married in Bloomington. Unbelievable she asked me, her old lady aunt to be her Matron on Honor.
I'll back up a minute, just cause it's fun. When she told me she was getting married, I was so excited. Then I jokingingly asked if she wanted Bobby and me to sing, "Love Lift us up where we belong." Of course I KNEW she would not want US singing, so I think she came up with the fastest excuse and blurted out, "Uh, no but you can be my Matron of Honor." I thought she was joking, but she wasn't.
Anyway, back to the wedding story. Before the wedding, she decided that all of the "girls" in the wedding would get their hair done together at a salon in Bloomington the morning of the wedding. All of us girls were done but it took HOURS to do her hair. When I saw it mid-way, I was worried a bit, but when it was done, it was gorgeous.
They practically stapled her veil to her head and we finally started heading back to the church. She was still in her street clothes with a gorgeous hairdo and a veil.
By this time we were all starved, so, with Carrie The Bride at the wheel, we go through the drive up at McDonalds. There was a long line and when we got up to the window to pay, the lady said, "Oh, you're all set, they already paid."
Carrie said, "Who paid?"
"The car in front of you."
"But we don't know them"
"Well, they paid for yours"
The SUV was pulling away and we waved, the lady waved back and went on.
We assumed that she could see Carrie was in her veil so she thought she would treat the bride with a gift of a free Big Mac.
And honestly, that really really did mean so much more than the price of the meals. It was a story for Carrie to tell all day and even now.
As we were pulling out, Carrie beamed, "I should wear a tiara all the time."
I think that might be a good idea for all of us. Well, maybe not so much for the men.
Oh, and here's the other fun thing that happened that day.
As everyone was helping to clean up the reception hall that night, Carrie wanted a bunch of us to walk a few blocks down to a bar.
So I rounded up her newly minted husband, grabbed mine and a few other people and we start walking the streets of Bloomington to this bar.
Now you have to picture this. It's gotta be 11:30 maybe. Here's a fully dressed (and slightly intoxicated) Bride carrying her bouquet that her talented mother made (Cissy), and the groom, still in his tux. He stands a good 7 feet 10 and 3/4 inches tall. Well that's how tall he looks next to my 5'5" husband.
Along with them are several members of the wedding party, all still dressed up strolling in not exactly a straight line. I finally ditched my shoes halfway because by then my feet were killing me.
We go to a bar and have a drink.
Of course it makes quite a stir. The bar was not crowded. Everyone was trying to get the bride and groom to kiss. The couple gave each other a quick kiss.
I was not exactly the most sober I have ever been in my life, so I said, "No, not like that, like this." And proceded to lay a good one on my husband. I don't think he minded too much with the pda.
One drink and we're heading back to the reception hall. Again, walking the streets with Carrie still carrying her veil.
The horns of the cars are blasting as they drive by, screaming at the bride and groom
A BIG pick-up truck slows down and the girl in the passenger seat is practically hanging out the window which is now just a few feet from us.
Carrie is whooping it up and goes over to the truck and hands that girl her beautiful bouquet.
Everyone is so caught up in the moment. The girl in the truck is screaming, can't believe she now has this bouquet and off they drive.
I tried not to think about how long it took Cissy to create that bouquet, but I knew had she been along with us (she was busy still cleaning the hall) she would have delighted in seeing how neat the whole moment was.
Again, an event that will be remembered for years.
That bouquet would have ended up packed away, just like every other bride's is and only seen once every 5 - 10 maybe 15 years.
The handing it to a complete stranger on the streets of Bloomington will be remembered ALOT more often and actually will bring sweeter memories.
Makes me smile just thinking about that whole day.
Leroy likes to occasionally surprise people he knows by paying their bill when we happen to eat at the same restaurant. Gosh, we rarely eat out anymore though.
Well, now I have to write a Carrie wedding story for CTS.
I'm going to write half your blogs for you if you don't hurry.
Maybe I should start a competing blog, just to keep you on your toes. I always wanted to write a book, so maybe I should start off with a blog. :)
I keep wanting to take over yours. Maybe it could be like a corporate hostile takover.
Believe me, after living all over the US, there is nothing like getting back with my friends from Indy. Just plain good people.
I think Hoosiers do us proud anywhere they go.
Very briefly put, the fellow (boss / owner) from New Jersey was just really "taken back" and stumbled around for a minute or two trying to put into words just what he had experienced in his 3-4 day (seemed like a month) trip with me thru Indiana. "Well" he said, "I don't know, the people here are different. At home people are a lot more uh, well, uh, I don't know. I mean you walk in and meet someone here and they are nice to you and take time to talk and to listen, and they aren't hateful and rude. If there's one thing I've learned out here it's that I'm really out of my element, I mean people here are just genuinely really nice people." I told him "yes that was kinda common in Indiana,..... but don't ask someone's opinion on something unless you want to get an honest answer". Strange thing, he quit asking me questions after that. Did I mention that I am no longer under their employ? As I recall he ask me a question about ............... and I answered him.
dj
Oh, and now that I think about it, that bouquet wouldn't have ended up stashed away for years and years after all. It more likely would have been halfway to the land of Oz as Carrie and Nate's house was completely destroyed in the tornado that hit Evansville a couple years back.
Yep, so see...it was meant to be that the unknown girl "caught" the bouquet!
Just a few years back, I took under my wing a "new girl" at work. She had moved to Indy from California and I unofficially adopted her as my daughter.
At that time I worked with several people who had moved here from different states, California, New York, even someone from Sri Lanka. I never could figure out why they would move to Indiana and they loved Indy so much that many actually refused to move with their jobs if it meant relocating from Indy.
Now, don't get me wrong. I don't hate Indiana. Everyone in my family is here and there are good things about this state. But every winter I wonder why anyone would want to stay here.
I've lived within 30 miles of where I was born my entire life and I have to say that I take for granted what I have.
Anyway, my "adopted" daughter and I were eating lunch outside on a wonderful May day in Carmel. We got up to take our trays and I thought Tamara had left her purse at our table. I picked up the purse and started toward her.
Then, politely, a lady beside me said, "Uh, that's my purse." I looked at Tamara and she was laughing. The lady was laughing. She had sat her purse down, trying to hold the table for her party. I felt like an idiot.
I apologized and gave her the purse.
While we were walking out, Tamara said, "See, if you had done that in California, you would have been tackled. People in Indiana automatically assume you made a mistake."
She was so right.
Unfortunately Tamara moved to Texas a couple years ago. She misses Indy terribly and wishes they could come back even though she has no family here. I wish she was here too, so she could keep reminding me that it's not about the weather, it's about the quality of life.
When my daughter/son-in-law's house was destroyed by that tornado, I was amazed at the people that came to help over the next week or two. As soon as it got light, my son trekked in with a backpack full of supplies and a shoulder for his 6'7" brother-in-law to cry on. We arrived a little later with cash from my mom, in-laws, and a friend. We used that to get them into a temporary furnished hotel room for a week or so.
Carrie's cousin took off work and helped salvage. Students from Castle High School were given the day off, and they walked around until they saw someone working at their house. I think they filled up one of those huge dumpsters.
On the final day of cleanup, my niece brought an excavator, my brothers' friend brought his youth group from church. They drove four hours or so one way, worked all day, then drove all the way back home.
There were even people I didn't know, but they had heard about it through friends and family. One sweet old man brought his little rag-tag chain saw that kept breaking. He'd slip the chain back on and keep working.
Others collected money and gave it to my husband or me to give to Carrie and Nate.
Other than asking for money that first day to get them into housing, we never asked for anything. Help and support were simply and generously given by Hoosiers who stepped up to the plate to help two people and their dog that were suddenly homeless, but very thankful to be alive.
Oh, I had forgotten about how many people came out of the woodwork to offer assistance.
So many people I worked with came up to me to give them money. I finally had to tell everyone to please donate to the Red Cross' fund for the other victims. I had to explain in a polite way that, "we take care of our own". There were many more people that were affected that needed help because they didn't have friends and family to assist.
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