While sitting at the airport, waiting out the 20 minutes I needed in order to be eligible to change my flight, I met William.  He was an affable, 77 year old Texas gentleman who had turned to me, with a big smile, and asked how I liked Austin.  He asked where I was headed and what I had done while I was here.  We sat, doubling down each other’s smiles, and told our stories.

William was retired and had worked for IBM for 33 years.  He was born and raised in Bryan, Texas.  He was sitting next to his wife, Betty, who was consumed in conversation with a girlfriend she was sending back to Phoenix.  Despite the Arizona connection, they all had Texas hair.

Bryan, Texas

William was impressed that I was a producer who was shoring up contacts with “political bloggers.”  He said it was a fascinating time for politics.  He added, after voting Republican in every election over his 77 years, this year he’d be voting for Obama.  “We need change.”

This is when his fascination with quotes started to reveal itself.

“Someone once said, Kyle, that ‘there’s nothing in the middle of the road but yellow stripes and dead armadillos.’  Ya gotta take a stand and stick with it.  I really tried to like Bush but I just couldn’t.”

He continued,  “Poor Hillary too.”  He chuckled.  “She wanted it so bad.  But Obama was smarter.  He really set his eyes on the prize and never strayed.”  I agreed with him on that.  He said, “William James once said ‘the deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.’”

We go on, being friendly and seeing common ground on a lot of things.  He’s probably the nicest man in the entire world.  He asked me what I’d learned during the convention and I clarified that I never actually made it to the convention.  He got a solid kick out of that.

“George Bernard Shaw once said that ‘dancing is the vertical expression of a horizontal desire.’”  This one made me laugh.  Indeed it is!

Betty & friend then take notice that her husband has been talking to someone for nearly 20 minutes and she soon starts in with stories of her own.  She tells me of her grandson who is interested in filmmaking and who just toured one of two “schools for that” there in Texas.  I gave her my information and told her to have him contact me. 

As 12:48pm approached (this was the “you can change your flight only 3 hours before” threshold), I got up to say goodbye and shook all their hands.  William tells me he’ll be looking me up and getting in touch.  He said he has a quote from Roosevelt he wants to send to me.  “It’ll suit you just fine young man.  A pleasure meeting you.”

And indeed it was.  I look forward to hearing what that wise ole stranger has to say, Roosevelt and William alike. 

And I’ll be sure to let you all know too.  

William

William.  Austin, TX.