I stopped at a Starbuck’s to get my decaf coffee. The drive-thru line was so long that I decided to go inside. There were several people in front of me, but all of us all stood a safe distance apart from each other (“social distancing”).
At last, the gentleman ahead of me moved up to the window to give his order. When his order was being rung up, he told the cashier that he would pay for my order, too. He turned in my direction to tell me that he would pay for my order.
I thanked him and told the cashier what I wanted. “A large decaf, please.” I thanked the man again and said how kind it was of him.
I do not remember how my brief conversation with this stranger got around to me asking him if he lived in Evanston. He told me that he lived in Chicago and worked for Comcast. I assumed or he suggested that Comcast was why he was in Evanston.
I thanked him again for my coffee, and he exited after picking up his order.
When I exited, I spied the Comcast truck, saw the man sitting in it and went up to it.
I told him I wrote for a local newspaper and that I might write about him. “What is your name,” I asked?
He told me, and I asked him to spell it. “Zeyad Z-e-y-a-d.” “Okay,” I said, “Check out the Evanston RoundTable newspaper.”
I do not remember exactly what either of us said as I walked away. “Good bye. Take care. Stay safe.”
The next day I Googled the stranger’s name, and below is one of the definitions I found this:
Urban Dictionary: Zeyad
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Zeyad
“A fabulous, most intelligent, good looking, handsome man that carries himself like a true gentlemen, & embraces all genders and races of people to hear his words of wisdom, intelligence and experience.”
Wow, How about that? I have no idea if the Zeyad I met has all the above-mentioned qualities, but I do know he “carries himself like a true gentleman, “I want to tell him here in writing: Thanks for Giving. Your generosity made my day.
HAPPPY THANKSGIVING.
Post note: We should remember that November is Native American Heritage Month (also known as American Indian Heritage Month). In grade school, I was taught that “American Indians” celebrated the first Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims. Thanks for Giving.