“This is my little dog, Angel. He helps me on my walks. I live nearby.” The old man sent a wave of calm over me as I started my conversation with him, window rolled down, furiously trying to turn around in the middle in the intersection he was crossing. I was so angry, lost, late for something, with the van full of family in my rearview mirror. Pre-GPS, I was trying to get to the interstate to head north, and somehow I had gotten screwed up in a neighborhood and couldn’t find the street that would take me there. I was fuming, and everyone in the car knew it.
I snapped at him, “Can you tell me how to get to the interstate going north?” His calmness continued as he asked me, “Did you have a good day?” I continued pressing him, demanding, just wanting him to tell how to get to the interstate, and fast. “Did you have a good day?”, he asked again. Aargh, what difference does it make?? “I don’t really drive anymore, so I don’t know very well. Did I tell you about my son, David?” I guess it’s a common enough name, but a little strange to me that this calm soul in front of me decided now was the time to share his family details, and his son’s name was the same as mine. “No, you didn’t tell me about your son, David,” I responded. “He works at a big grocery store two blocks up, then you turn left, and just past it is the interstate,” he shared, then continued, “so, did you have a good day?”
I thanked him, finished turning around and headed the direction he had directed. Sure enough, there was the grocery store, there was the ramp onto the interstate. For much of the way home, my wife and family kept talking about the little old man. How strange it was that his dog happened to be named “Angel”. How strange that his son was named “David.” How strange that he said he didn’t really know the way, and then he did. But strangest of all was the way he kept calming me down, asking “But did you have a good day?” Years later, we still will ask ourselves that when in a particularly frustrating spot, lost, or when stuck in traffic or having missed a turnoff. We did have a good day that day – we had been to Irish Fest as a family, enjoyed the music and the chance to be together. We had a very good day, in fact.
But maybe it took a little old man and his dog, Angel, to make me realize and remind me of that. Again and again. Thanks, Angel.
Did you have a good day?