Talking to Strangers

I could not decide which inspired me moreexpensive cheesecake in a hotel too fancy even for dreams, or a speech that was not supposed to be a pep talk, yet was.

My grandfather once told me a story about inspiration in the oddest places. He insisted that he had met Elvis Presley in the Bahamas. He had taken my grandmother there for an anniversary get-away, and it was not going well. It was rainy, my grandmother was sick, and my grandfather was a little annoyed with it all. He was dabbling his feet in the hotel pool, not sure whether he felt like swimming or running away. He was trying to get away from his frustrations, when this man, whom he swore was Elvis Presley, asked, "Where's your pretty wife? If I could be with mine, I would for every moment I could. You can't get those minutes back once they're gone."

My grandfather chatted with him for a few minutes. His words of wisdom made my grandfather think, and he decided to surprise my grandmother with some flowers and a few kind words. When my grandfather came back, the man was gone.

I insisted that it couldn't have been Elvis. After all, Elvis had died long before this event had happened. I explained that there were plenty of look-alikes.

However, my grandfather would not be persuaded. So, it has always been called the "How my grandfather thinks he met Elvis" story.