Stream of Consciousness Sunday: The Story of a Man

So many things on my mind tonight. When I sit down to write my post for next Sunday, I will officially be living in Maryland. I still don’t see how it’s all going to get done especially with me fielding some sort of upper respiratory ailment and lower back pain. But it will get done and it would be really boring to spend 5 minutes complaining about all that.

Instead, I decided to share a little sunshine in me day. Just when I thought I’ve had all I can take with yard sales and craigslist and people in my house and my life, I remembered how much I do like people after all.

Today’s (Optional) Writing Prompt: Are you a people person? Do you feel energized or drained around people? What are some of your favorite types of encounters or tell me a story of one!

Here we go…

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Some days I can’t stand people. I really just can’t stand them. They annoy me. They disgust me. They irritate me. But they also entertain me and sometimes they bring me joy.

I know it sounds weird and it sounds like I’m not a people person. I think I am – they just have to be the right kind of people. People that seem to be increasing harder to find.

Today, I talked to a man named Tollie and he told me a story that filled my mind with pictures and imagination and I really enjoyed just listening to him.

Of all things, I “met” Tollie over the phone while I listed yet MORE items for sale. This time, I used the words “MOVING! Must sell ASAP!” and apparently those words light a fire under people. I’ve been fielding emails and phone calls all day. I”m just happy to see this stuff going to a good home.

Tollie emailed me about the Cat Genie I’m selling. If you have cats, you should google it. It’s a pretty neat system but its time has come and gone for us. We’re ready to clear out.

So today, Tollie called and said he’d like to buy it but he’d have to drive down from a remote part of Virginia to get it. He didn’t mind and actually sent me the money via PayPal. But this good old country boy just delighted me when I made a simple comment to him.

“I used to know someone named Tollie.”

He was flabbergasted. It’s an unusal name, short for nothing, and he had never met another Tollie except his father and grandfather.

Turns out Tollie’s dad was one of eighteen children that grew up in the southwestern part of Virginia. They were all given simple names with no middle names. My reasoning was that they’d run out of names too quickly! His dad was one of the few siblings still alive at the ripe age of 85 while almost all his siblings had died before the age of 51. They were from a coal-mining town and apparently the coal dust had done them all in.

His dad was smart enough to move away so he wouldn’t have to work in the mines and extended his life by a few good decades. His grandfather wasn’t a coal miner either. He’d spent his entire life running his own moonshine operation. Oh yes. These are some country folk.

Turns out he did quite well even though, according to Tollie, he himself never touched the stuff except for one shot every night before bed. Tollie’s grandfather lived to be over 100 years old. I’m thinking maybe he knew the secret of life.

A little sale, a quick phone conversation, and suddenly I remember that I really like people. Especially people with really interesting stories.

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This was my 5 minute Stream of Consciousness Sunday post. It’s five minutes of your time and a brain dump. Want to try it? Here are the rules…

• Set a timer and write for 5 minutes.
• Write an intro to the post if you want but don’t edit the post. No proofreading or spellchecking. This is writing in the raw.
• Publish it somewhere. Anywhere. The back door to your blog if you want. But make it accessible.
• Add the Stream of Consciousness Sunday badge to your post.
• Link up your post below.
• Visit your fellow bloggers and show some love.

Now…

1. Grab the button

(it’s over in the sidebar)

2. Write your post.

3. Link up here.