KAY YAK

KAY YAK
by Andy Weddington
Saturday, 18 February 2017

Good things happen when you meet strangers. Yo-Yo Ma

Not every citizen eligible to vote living in California suffers lunacy.

Yesterday I met one - "Kay" (likely an alias) and she wanted to yak.

After parking in a shopping center lot I walked into a haircutting joint about 15 minutes prior to an online scheduled appointment. 

A stylist at the reception desk confirmed my presence and I sat in one of the few unoccupied chairs in the waiting area. 

The seat to my left, in the sun, empty.

Kay came in.

She had not made an online appointment so was logged in and some half-dozen patrons behind me. 

Sitting in the chair to my left she said, "Thanks for saving the one in the sun for me, I love it!"

Kay looked about a decade my senior (but I made not mention of that observation).

She wanted to talk.

She commented she pulled into the shopping center behind me, noticed my retired Marine license plate holder, and thanked me for serving.

"Do you like being retired?"

"No, Kay, I do not like being retired." She looked puzzled. And then I quickly followed with "I love it!"

And we talked about the joys of retired life. Neither of us could think of a drawback.

Then she, as I, was silent a few minutes. 

Surprisingly, she said, "I know not your politics but imagine you are happy we have a President again?"

"Yes, I am."

Said Kay, "Well, I campaigned for President Trump. So did many friends. I pray every day for his safety. There are too many things that went in the wrong direction for 8 years and President Trump is the only one who can fix it." 

"No argument from me."

Kay was not shy. "President Obama is a terrorist. He is pure evil. How we allowed then permitted him to remain in our Oval Office I'll never understand."

"Me either."

I shared with her an email received a week or so ago from a retired friend who mentioned one of his sons was born in the same hospital as Obama and his son's birth certificate looked nothing like the one proffered as Obama's. 

The comment was not meant as bait but Kay had plenty of perspective to share. And not a word favorable as to our former President's place of origin. 

To be clear, Kay did not come across as a kooky, hysterical ranter. 

She was thoughtful, articulate, and confident. 

Mostly Kay is optimistic.

She has faith and hope in President Trump. And every day she can hardly wait to see what next he'll do.

Me too. 

I was called for my haircut.

When done and heading to the reception desk, I noticed Kay was still in her chair.

She looked up as I was opening the door (adjacent her chair), smiled, made comment about our conversation, and ended with a plug for President Trump.

It was not an expected encounter but I enjoyed Kay yak. It was a stranger good thing, as Yo-Yo Ma believes. Sweet music - about country.  

Not every citizen eligible to vote living in California suffers lunacy.

There's at least two of us.