Old Santa Fe

I think. Maybe it's Old El Paso. Whatever.

Old Santa Fe is right next to Floyd's. 

I got a haircut today and I must say I look dashing. 

And I mean duh-s-h-i-n-g!

I love these young people to death.  And they love me. 

You see, I buy them a pizza each time. Now that's my thing. And kids are so easy to please. Because older adults are always giving them the s-h-hockey stick-t ... shLt. 

Just last week I turned out the front door of our building and made my way to the end of the block.

From behind me a woman said, "Hello there."

I turned and saw two women approaching, walking faster than I do, they're about to overtake my pace.

They saw I did not recognize them.

"I cut your hair." 

Now they're both next to me at my left side. "Ha! Oh. Thank you for that. " 

Now in front of me and looking back to say, "And thanks for the pizza!" 

Ah, now it's all clear. I'm associated with pizza. They do appreciate that. It sticks out. Plus the pizzas are very good but I'm not so sure that makes any difference. I'm not sure they can tell the difference between an excellent pizza and a standard pizza. It's all in the details. They know hair, not necessarily pizzas. Plus the pizzas are cold by the time they get to them. After all, they're all working.

At any rate, a new woman there today cutting my hair and we had an interesting conversation. And she said so. 

Then they fronted my haircut. 

Monetarily, with two generous tips, the pizza delivery and the haircut, that doesn't make it even but it does make it worthwhile as the episode on the street shows. 

The waiter at Old Santa Fe was a young man I hadn't seen before. Another customer entered after me. The waiter and the guy behind me are both Latino. Whereas the waiter was incredibly soft-spoken with me, he was much more communicative with the second guy.

I look like my dad. I look like an Air Force officer. That's how young people respond to me. They don't quite know how to act. So it's all very stilted. It's up to me to remove that barrier and demonstrate that I'm not what I look like.

At the end he asked me if I'd like to have more chips. 

I told him, no thank you, I'm taking some home. 

I'm showing above the two small containers of chips that I put in my backpack. 

The bill with my signature sat on the table for a long time. "Would you like more Coca-Cola?" 

"Sure."

Then later, "Would you like more chips?" 

"No thank you. I'm taking some home." 

He didn't know that I put the two containers in my backpack. He returned with a bag full of chips. Then returned again with a take-out container of salsa.

Apparently he saw the tip was more than the lunch and he was responding in kind to that. 

I said, "I wasn't signaling for more chips. I was telling you that I already packed some. See?" 

I pulled out one of the containers.

"Oh! That's alright. Keep them." 

See what I mean? These small gestures are noticed and appreciated and reciprocated where possible. Young people are adorable when given a chance.

I will only mention the young man who delayed his own entry to hold open the door for me.  

I will only mention the young gentleman who offers his bathroom with the huge sign "Bathrooms for customers only" because I am a customer at other times and they know I'm not taking advantage. And thank God for that because at my age bathroom signal misjudgment can be catastrophic and the internal physical hint "now" means now!