People who need people are ... the most interesting people?

She gave me a big smile and waved me towards her checkout counter.

Even before I said hi, words came pouring out of her. "I have been thinking about you and your blog after the other day."

She knows about my blog not because I told her about it.  I don't have enough time to even joke around! The commenter-extraordinaire at this blog was in town for two days and one of the places I knew I had to take him was the grocery store where I almost always shop.  Such is my life--people come to visit with me from the other side of this planet and I have serious plans to take them to the grocery store!

It was not for the groceries.  No ma'am!  I hoped that at least one of the people I had written about, and he had read about, would be there.

He shook her hand that "other day" and said that he had read about her and the store.

I then told her about how I blog, sometimes about people too, but mostly without using the names.

In that conversation, I told her that Eugene has some really interesting people, which makes it all the more easy to blog about.  "I think every place has interesting people" she said then, to which I replied that Eugene seemed to have more than its share.

So, she remembered all that, and the way the words came flowing, it seemed like she was waiting for me to show up.

"You know how you find people fascinating?  I came across a website called "Humans of New York" and I thought I should tell you about it."  Of course, I made a mental note of that site.

She then continued to engage me in a conversation, all the while smiling.  "I think that with your interest in humanity you will find interesting people wherever you go."

That is true, indeed.  Whether it is Tanzania, or India, or Ecuador, or Costa Rica, or even Los Angeles, I have always interacted with, or observed, interesting people and blogged about them too.

"I agree" I told her.

But, then, after all, I am the joking kind.  So, of course, I added "hey, I am not going to argue with a former bodybuilder who can punch the daylights out of me" and I laughed.

She, too, laughed.  "You are small and I can take you on" she said.

I took a step away from the counter in mock fear.

"Mu husband is also small built like you, and I married him because I know I can beat him up."

"Oh, what does he do?"

I thought maybe he is also a bodybuilder and owns a gym.  I was in for a surprise.

"He is a stand-up comic."

That I would not have guessed.

"Oh boy, is he in trouble if he doesn't have jokes for you ... you can beat him up."

She laughed. "Yes, he better be funny."

She put a smile on my face too as I walked towards the car.

We are all interesting people.