Home is where the candy is

I ran outside just before dinner because the clouds looked spectacular and I hadn't taken a single photo in the entire day.
From the other side of the street I heard someone say 'hi!' I looked around and saw a young man with a box in his hands walking towards me. He stretched out his hand and gave me a laminated card. Then he stretched it out again, to shake my hand. I was holding my camera with the wristband on, and now I was also holding his laminated card so it took me a while.
He waited patiently, hand outstretched.
We shook, and while he introduced himself, I read the card. 'Hi, my name is Ron' the card said. And so did Ron.

It turned out he was selling candy for an organisation trying to help teenagers through tough times. Ron, I noticed, had a cleft palate, so tough times were not new to him.
I asked him how long he had been selling candy, and he said '19 years'. 'No way', I said, overly surprised, 'you must have been tiny when you started'. He held his hand at his waist: 'this big' he smiled.

I asked him what he would choose from the box of goodies. After much hesitation he chose the only thing I'm not fond of: peanutbutter/chocolate thingies. So I went with the pecan-caramel thingies. He shrugged.

At this point I said my goodbyes and good-lucks, but Ron loved company and he could have been walking around our block for hours with no one to talk to. I felt bad. I didn't hurry.

Ron told me that last year he was working in Lansing one day and there must have been a MSU (Michigan State University) game that day cos everyone was wearing green. And he was wearing his very blue rivaling U of M (University of Michigan) shirt. So this one guy said: 'You've got some balls, wearing that shirt in my neighbourhood!' But then he bought taffy so Ron figured it turned out okay. I pointed at his green shirt, laughed and said: 'Well, you came prepared today!'

Then we said goodbye again, and Ron waved: 'I'll see you tomorrow!'

I told the Beloved that leaving me outside unattended could be a costly business. Then I realised I should have asked Ron if I could take his picture. Darn!

Everything had taken up so much time that the clouds were gone and all I could get was an emergency Bibi-Blip, looking at the back of our house. You can see it reflected in her eyes :)

I think I'll go and have a pecan-caramel thingie.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone :)