I went to Delta Sonic today to fill up my gas tank for the ride back to Rochester.  After topping off my tank and having already been traumatized by the mall parking lot (all I wanted to do was pay my credit card bill at Express!!) and a snafu with the pharmacy at Wegmans, I decided to hole up inside the Delta Sonic/ Dunkin’ Donuts/Convenience Store for a while and stay warm until my prescription was ready.  While waiting for the bathroom I got talking to a man, and we ended up talking for near 45 minutes.  He reminded me a lot of my dad and my uncle– he was a tradesman, spoke freely, took no crap, and trained dogs on the side, a true animal lover.  After everything else that happened to me today, that was the one bright spot in my day.  He’s been all over with his German Shepards and his business, and he works on cars that have been in collisions, which I find fascinating.  Like I said, he reminded me of my dad and my uncle combined– he liked working with his hands like my dad (a carpenter, printing press operator, and sheet metal worker, plus he always has a project going on) and had no qualms about telling it like it is, no matter how politically incorrect it was to say it (like my uncle, who is a devout dog lover and always says what’s on his mind with no filter.)  In an odd way, it was comforting– it was like being with a family member.  It was the highlight of my day.  A nice break from the insanity of life.  A little piece of home standing there in the gas station waiting area, just waiting for his work minivan to get cleaned up.

I believe in Godwinks.  And I think this was one.  Sometimes you gotta take that chance, because you never what shape the Godwink is going to take.  Mine was an autobody worker who trained German Shepards in his free time.  And he calmed me down at a time when I needed it the most.