Two People

The challenge is to “Name two people who have had a significant impact on your life.”

My life. Two people.

One? One is a cop in Austin. I never knew him as a professional, or, I should say in a professional sense. Subservient to this contemplation, though, there was cop in old El Paso, client, then friend. Turned into a pair of cops, and the rest is old news.

But the one in Austin?

Showed up to listen to music one night, listening to one of the great troubadours of Texas music, a singer/songwriter, just a guitar and mostly empty venue. Cop was funny. He told stories that were all off the record, and there was reason why he was a Law Enforcement Officer. Kind, generous, assumed, my appearance suggested it, that I probably smoked pot. I don’t. I didn’t, at that time, either, but it doesn’t matter.

He shrugged, and suggested, as soon as it was legal, he was going to fire one up, but until then, it was his job to arrest law-breakers. I was drinking sparkling water, my date had a beer, and the cop had one beer. Maybe two, but I think just the one.

He was ex-military, and that was obvious, even when in civilian attire, his clothes lined up, were matched, and the beeper — that long ago — was dressed and squared away. Gentle soul, kind person, a cop for all the right reasons, trying to help people out — oftentimes at their worst. I have remained forever indebted to Austin PD since then, a genuine good person.

Two People

Then there was the priest, Catholic Priest, collar, everything. In the pre-hurricane town of Port A. Lonely winter Thursday, I think, in that wan, early morning cloud-sodden weather of the fall, cold day, with thick cloud cover making it even more depressive, and ill-suited for fishing. Still, in Port A’s coffee shop, getting an espresso-based beverage, I could sense a person behind me.

There he was, bewildered, looking at the menu, not unlike a certain gilded mermaid, too many choices, and not enough in English, although, with a collar, he might speak Latin. I had an overwhelming urge to “Pay it forward,” and the collar sealed it for me. I offered to buy him a cup of coffee, made a recommendation, then paid, and angled for polite benediction — or something. I actually assumed nothing.

We chatted, briefly, and I felt as if I had been touched by the Holy Spirit (tm) itself. Affable, and almost unflappable — he concurred with the then-new pope dude, “You know, do no wrong, be nice, don’t hurt people, heaven is for all.”

I’ve known two or three people of faith that I believe are really doing the lord’s work, as they might suggest. One’s a former pastor of my own wee mum. Another was associated with the same with but declined ordination based on political underpinnings. Not misunderstanding, just agree to disagree, probably about women’s rights.

That priest, a traveling priest, mentioned something about mass on the beach, suggested I might like it, but hey, no worries.

If I were to grow up, I would like to be like them emulate their spirit, care, and unflappable compassion, and easy mannerisms.

Two People

So, what two people?

Two-Meat Tuesday

Two-Meat Tuesday – Kramer Wetzeltarget=”blank”>