Coffee without Donuts

I met a family, today, who was on a road trip together.

"Where were they tripping to?"

Going to T-Town, Buster, Tuscaloosa, Alabama to drop off a young man who's about to be a freshman at the University of Alabama. I was so proud of him. They stopped for a break, where I was having a cup of coffee.

"Lucky Goat?"

Of course, Lucky Goat, I had a little time to kill, and I was there drinking coffee, writing in my journal when this crowd came in and sucked all the air out of the room. They all talked at once and naturally, settled in next to me and I could not think to write with all of that carrying on. Once the caffeine kicked in, I struck up a conversation with the mother figure and she said yes, they are on their way to Tuscaloosa to take a pimple-faced young man in a crimson-colored shirt, to the Promised Land.

"Did you say any more, or was that all? I imagine you went on once you found that much out."

You know I did. I told them that Alabama was the finest University in the Southeastern Conference and that they, or he, had made a great choice. He said he was going there to study business. They were a very nice family. I tried not to bore them, but they knew at my reaction to where their road trip was bound, that I was very happy to hear of the destination.

"Did you mention rolling anything, Crimson anything, or Tide? Did you mention the Tide?"

I may have said Roll Tide a time or two; I mentioned that the response, Roll Tide, or Roll Tide Roll, was the appropriate response to all questions anyone may have, once they arrive at their destination. And I asked their son to hug Nick Saban's neck for me.

"I can see it now; you have no shame. Was the place full of Seminole fans?"

There were no other folks in the shop. I explained to my new friends that I was from Alabama and that my Mama passed on her Love of the Crimson Tide to me. And that I have been in Tallahassee for a few years and that in order to get along, I adore FSU and that I have an FSU hat that I wear around town so that folks will treat me better.

"Does it work?"

Does what work, Buster, you're speaking in riddles?

"Does the hat work? Do people see you in a different light when you wear the FSU hat as opposed to the Notre Dame hat?"

I believe they do. Wouldn't you?

"Maybe, maybe not. But that's not a fair question to the one you love, who loves you too."

That's the truth, I'm not one who “hates” people for a school they like. I like all schools, I'm not only an Alabama fan. I like school in general and open-minded people. I do care if a person is narrow-minded and unwilling to learn new things. I like libraries too. I need to get those poems in the mail to Apalachee Review.

"Do that already, if the poems are ready, do it tomorrow! You could have done that today, with all the time you had on your hands, drinking coffee at doughnut shops. How many pastry did you eat?"

I ate none, not one, Buster, the donut is not on my diet. I had coffee. I longed for the double chocolate donuts while they made my coffee. But I left them alone and that's the truth.

Buster's Journal

13 August 2015

Tallahassee, Florida