The man at the back of the bus coming up to the front to leave, at the last stop in Rainier Beach. Operators and I sometimes say, 'when they come up to the front door to exit, you know you're doing something right.'
"I jus' needed to come up to the front and say thank you for how you do it, man," he enthused, continuing with further gushes. I forget his exact words here; I tend to block out praise. "I'm being watched," filmmaker Terrence Malick said in 1979 regarding fame and accolades, in the last interview he ever gave. "That could trip me up."
But I do remember the rich, genuine grinning glow of his face. "What was yo name again?"
"Nathan, like Nate the Great. Or Nathan's Hotdogs, or Nate Dogg." Single firm handhsake.
"You got more class than school, brotha!" he exclaimed.
"Right back atcha! You're too kind!"
"I'm kind?! Pssshhhh. Please, bro. I'm just tellin' it. You're kind, man!"
I wanted to say thank you all for such an outpouring of support regarding my situation below. I'm hugely thankful. I have a treat I'm I'm very excited to share with you, though it's not quite done yet– give me another day or two! Check back soon!