I am the Hag

In 1976, fresh out of school, I founded a manufacturing company.

It (still) is in an industrial area of Van Nuys, Ca.  On the way to the plant, about 6 in the morning, I'd pass Beeps, a fast food place geared towards us workers.  The Budweiser plant was down the street, where my brother in law worked the swing shift for 25 years, as well as many other businesses that ran around the clock.  One local bar had a big sign out front that said, Open at 6am!  We install and remove hangovers!

Beep's of course was open 24 hours, and I'd frequently stop by for a cup of coffee on the way in to the factory, as the food truck didn't come until 8:30.  The early shift was run by the ugliest woman I'd ever seen- she looked just like a cartoon hag, warts and all.  However, her heart was exactly the opposite.

She glowed from within, taking such a delight in the world around her that it was truly uplifting to exchange just a few words with her.  I never learned her name, or even saw her again after I broke down and got a coffeemaker at work, but I still remember her fondly after more than 30 years.

As I get older, and continue to morph into an ancient lumpen piece of flesh, I hope that strangers will be able to look past that and take the time to get to know the real me.

I'm in the middle of a very busy work related travel summer, so will probably be late with executing the challenge piece, but will probably do something on the subject of weather.  If someone in Seattle, for instance, hears of impending rain, the news might be greeted with an eye roll and resignation.

However, here, in the dry southwest, we treasure it.

stay tuned :)