I just wanted to relate a rather funny experience that happened today 🙂
I went out to lunch with an old college buddy of mine. We haven’t seen each other in almost 20 years although we kept in email-touch infrequently. He asked to meet up in order to purchase a copy of The Anti-Bodies and get it signed by me. So, we made arrangements to meet up at my favorite restaurant downtown – Trattoria Zia’s (1191, Place Phillips).
I was greeted with plenty of hugs and smiles by the staff/ owners who’ve wondered where I’ve been for the last few months. I explained how the friend I would meet up with every month has been unavailable and thus kept me away. We got ourselves a table and with wonderful and mouth-watering plates between us, we caught up on life, the universe, and everything 🙂 It was great touching base with such an old friend again (seriously – the only friend from college I still keep in touch with) and the lunch hour flew by.
When we got up to pay for our meal (he actually treated me! wow!) I got to chatting with the owner as she was punching up the bill. I told them I’d be seeing them on Monday again as I was having lunch there again with another old friend and the conversation (while already quite animated, became even more-so!) went like this:
Owner: “What do you? Where do you work? Or don’t you work?”
Me: “Not work? Ha! I wish I had the money not to work! I work in computers, but I’m a writer. I write books!”
Owner: “You write books! What books?!”
Me: “This one-” and take a copy out of my bag (I’ve mentioned before that I have taken to carrying copies of my books everywhere with me because you just never know…)
Owner: “Oh wow! Why didn’t you say anything! We can promote you here! Why don’t you sell me one?”
Me: “Here. Take this copy”
Owner: “Really?! Wow! Thank you! Oh wow! I have to give you a kiss!” and she came from around the counter to hug me. “Now you sign this to me! My first signed book!”
Most of this, of course, all said in Italian 🙂 In the end, as I was signing her book to her, she grabbed a Panettoni from her counter and gave it me as a means of thanking me 🙂 Then, she insisted I give her my phone number in case she needed to contact me or if there were any projects that would come up for me. In the end, she made a comment about “maybe you can help me with my autobiography!” to which I replied, “yes, of course I can do that!” and she was just tickled pink 🙂
What an absolutely wonderful afternoon experience 🙂 She promised to read the book over the weekend so I look forward to what she’ll say on Monday. And if she’ll really help promote it, well, what a wonderful xmas gift that’ll be! 🙂
It’s just so nice to be nice to nice, deserving people, and get rewarded simply for BEING nice. You know? 🙂