There are places we go where we expect to learn something. We expect to learn something when we’re sitting at a desk in a classroom or in a pew at church on Sunday morning.
We don’t expect to learn something at fast-food restaurants. That’s why — as I sat in my booth enjoying my chicken sandwich — my expectations were low when an older gentlemen approached me for conversation.
In just a few minutes, he showed me how coupons in the newspaper could have saved me more than half of what I’d just spent on my meal. He had the coupon on him, in fact, and proved it by purchasing the same meal himself.
As if that lesson wasn’t quite enough — though I’d say it was, especially considering how often my husband and I have been eating out lately with our kitchen still undergoing improvements — he went on to show me the importance of health insurance.
I, like most, send an occasional nod of thanks to the military for providing excellent coverage, then later find myself grumbling about mediocre care. This gentleman — I believe he said his name was Bill — told me how the insurance coverage provided by the military has changed in the 20 years he served and throughout his retirement.
He soon had me examining how expensive the health care I’ve received in the past two years would be without military insurance.
Like I said, you don’t expect to learn life lessons at fast-food restaurants, but sometimes you get them anyway. Had I followed my instincts and left after eating, I would have missed an intellectually stimulating conversation. So thanks, Bill, and I wish you the best.