Featured Image Courtesy: Orlando News Sentinel
Sometimes the joy in traveling isn’t so much seeing the sights and sounds but meeting the people you would have never known otherwise. You just never know who you might run into if you strike up a conversation with the right individual. Sometimes they have a job you might not have even known existed! But how do you strike up a chat with a stranger? Well, sometimes you just need a photo of their guac…
In my last article, I mentioned that I took my daughter out for a night of shopping and eating while Momma stayed in the room catching up on rest. We went to Rocco’s Taco and Tequila Bar in Orlando close to Universal. The place was packed and were told it was a 45 minute to an hour wait for a table. We decided to grab a couple of seats at the bar and we were blessed beyond measure that we did.
Need Pictures
i knew that I wanted to mention Rocco’s in my article so I wanted to get pictures of our food. The guacamole and chips are a fabulous starter. It’s made fresh in front of you when you’re seated at a table. It’s a sight to behold. We didn’t have that option of watching when you’re seated at the bar. Ours arrived and it didn’t last long. A gentleman had walked up to the bar to sit beside me after our appetizer was gone and he ordered the same appetizer. I politely interrupted his card game that he was playing on his phone.
How The Conversation Started
I asked the gentleman if he would mind me taking a picture of his guacamole. He said certainly if I would allow him to finish his card game. I thanked him for his kindness and waited. Not only did he pass his guacamole but he also passed his basket of freshly seasoned chips too. He said you can’t have one without the other. Again, I thanked him. He asked where we were from and we gladly shared from the Chattanooga area. Then he shared that he lives in South Carolina, but was born in Scotland, grew up in Australia/New Zealand. He explained that he was playing a card game with his 98 year-old grandmother in Scotland. My daughter and I were captivated by his accent and how pleasant he was to just sit and talk.
What Brings You to Orlando?
I shared that I teach and am on spring break vacation with my family. He shared that he was here for work. His work involves finding AWOL soldiers and escorting them to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He said he has one that he’s picking up in the morning and taking him to Kansas. He explained that the longer they’ve been AWOL the bigger the payday. Needless to say, my daughter and I were so engrossed by his job that we stopped eating and focused squarely on him. What a great experience!
His Best Job-Related Find
He went on to share that one time he was in Nashville with some buddies. They were at a bar that had karaoke night. The emcee introduced a British fellow to do the next song and my new friend said this guy looks familiar. He looked him up in his database and sure enough it was one that was on the run He had a conversation with him afterwards to find out how often he comes to do karaoke and the fugitive told him what nights he was always there. A few nights later, he performed again and was detained after his performance.
Final Part of Conversation
He then shared with us that he has a son in the US Army and thinks he’s Rambo. He showed us pictures of his son and we can see why he thinks he’s Rambo. He looked like he was well-chiseled and clearly takes good care of himself. He then looked at my daughter and asked her situation in which she shyly said “I’m still looking for Mr. Right.” We said our good-byes and thanked him for such a great evening.
There are a lot of good people out there with great stories. I encourage you to get out and discover what wonderful people there are out there. We asked the gentleman to thank his son for his service to our country, We are praying he keeps finding his hidden treasures.
Be blessed and safe travels!!!
