Today, Sarah and Luna visited and we went to the 3rd Street Farmer’s Market with my brother-in-law, Ray Agutter, who is visiting from Salt Lake City. Ray was my sister Leslie’s husband and is the father of my beloved niece, Kevin, and my nephew, Jim. Ray is also a gregarious character and loves to chat with people. It turned out the Farmer’s Market – a spot that has been around since the 1930’s and a favorite LA landmark – was the perfect place to take Ray.
We arrived at the market and were walking through trying to decide where to eat amidst the many food choices available. We had already agreed to eat Brazilian fare, but the line was too long. The Chinese booth didn’t seem that busy – a bad sign – and a sandwich place we passed was packed – a good sign for quality, but the crowd was too big – so we settled on a moderately busy food booth that served fish. I had grilled tilapia with pickled beets and my food was delicious. Ray had clam chowder. Sarah had grilled cod with rice pilaf. We all ate with gusto, as is often the case when eating among a lot of other people in an open-air market. By the end of the meal, Ray had talked to at least three different people who were sitting nearby. Just casual chit-chat, though one conversation resulted in us being asked to pose for a picture for the Chinese tourists who had been admiring Luna from the next table.
After finishing up our meal, we headed off to explore the shops at the market and we lost Ray several times along the way. I would circle back round and each time I found him in deep conversation with total strangers. He laughed with people and then waved good-bye as if they were old friends. By the time we left 3rd Street, Ray must have talked to at least 20 different people, some who probably felt as if they had been talking to an old friend.
Now there are folks in the world who are introverts and who would never ever consider striking up a conversation with a stranger and then there’s Ray, an extrovert of the nth degree, who was clearly energized by his many encounters and seemed to be spreading a little joy along the way. For Ray, that is a huge part of his life – being actively engaged with other people – and he would say, one of the very best parts of his life, as well.
It’s always great to see that most people are open to conversation with someone they don’t know as long as they perceive that unknown person as non-threatening. In fact, it was clear from the reaction of several people that they were pleased that Ray made the effort to strike up a conversation with them. He, for his part, was delighted to share whatever moment of connection these chance encounters provided and that was good enough for him.
I love my brother-in-law. I have known him since I was eight-years-old. I was the flower girl at his wedding to my sister, who was all of nineteen when they got married. Ray has been more or less a constant in my life for over fifty years at this point. Wow is my only response to that statement.
So, thank you for coming to visit, brother-in-law. As usual, your enthusiasm for life leaves me in awe of your energy and exuberance. You are aging well, embracing life, and staying right in the now. Good for you.
Next time, however, we might have to allot more time for our trips out to see LA sites. We have to factor in the friend-making time, which, of course, is the best part of all.
Happy travels, Ray, heading back to Salt Lake City tomorrow after a brief stopover in Las Vegas. I expect you’ll be making more friends along the way. Just remember not to let any of them talk you into spending money in those casinos! Otherwise, I might have to drive to Vegas just to give you bus money to get on home.
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