The Conversation was way underway before I got there that morning.
I had already come in late to what THEY were discussing; I had already UNDERheard, maybe too much to piece everything together, but it had something to do with what was her favorite item on the menu.
They continued to smile, I presume back and forth. I could only see her as she brought his breakfast and more coffee. The back of his head nodded often and that seemed to be pretty much IT. . .
Until….
She asked if he would like a cup of coffee to go and he agreed. I saw him reaching into his back pocket and he pulled out more than a few bills…now, I guess, I was UNDERseeing.
When she came back to the table with his coffee all cupped up and capped to go, he handed her the bills.
Her face, her expression was something that couldn’t be UNDERheard or UNDERseen. She stammered, “I, I, I can’t.”
“I didn’t remember asking, if you could or should or would. Please,” he almost whined as he pushed the money back into her hand.
“Do something just for yourself, not your kids, not your neighbor, not your friends–for yourself. You deserve it,” he said as he pushed his chair back towards the table and walked towards the door.
He sounded pretty adamant about her doing something just for herself with the money.
Just what did I UNDERhear? Just what did I UNDERsee? How much money had he given her?
The waitress started to clear the table when another waitress came over to clear the table right next to hers. HIS WAITRESS showed the other waitress what was just given to her.
I’m riveted–Definitely NOT UNDERhearing or seeing.
“What are you going to do? You’re keeping it, right?”
“Sure, sure I’ll keep it. He told me to get something for myself.”
Then I saw it. I saw a smile, one that SHOUTED: “I GOT IT! I KNOW WHAT I”LL DO WITH THE MONEY!”
“He said do something for myself. I’m getting the kids pool passes with this, and…”
Before she finished, the OTHER Waitress said, “He told you to do something for yourself–no one else.”
…here’s where I’m glad my ears or eyes OVERheard and OVERsaw everything….
“Come on,” she snickered. “When you do something for your kids, you’re doing something for yourself.”
Her Smile continue to fill the corner and my breakfast was now pretty much decimated.
The Other Waitress agreed, “True ‘dat.”
There’s a big difference between UNDERhearing and Overhearing.
I’m glad, THAT morning, I knew The Difference.
You?
There’s stories being told in vivid color right in front of us, countless times a day…who know’s what OVERhearing, OVERseeing a few can do to change the Ordinary to the EXTRAordinary?
Find out!
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