The Old Man at Burger King
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The Old Man at Burger King
By Tammy Sharp – Lawson
Today, Brandy and I went to LaFollette to run a few errands. On the way, we stopped at Burger King, because that’s her favorite fast food restaurant.
I parked and we went in. We ordered our Whopper Meal deals and while she got our drinks, napkins and ketchup, I waited for our meals at the counter. While I was waiting, an old man came in the door and slowly shuffled his feet to the counter. He ordered a Whopper Jr. and a small Coke. He was a dried up, little old man with a dirty hat and baggy pants that were being held up by a belt. I heard him tell the clerk that she could tell every body she had waited on a dead man walking …she had a funny look on her face, but I just thought it was very sad.
The waitress handed me our food and I walked on back to the table where Brandy was sitting. The old man had received his order and shuffled on past us just as I sat down. Brandy noticed him, and she said, “Oh how sad, he has a big hole in his shoe.” I said, “He only ordered a small hamburger and a small coke, I wonder if that was all the money he had?” We both continued to eat our food, but we both kept glancing over at him. Finally Brandy said, “Tammy, it’s getting to me too, it makes me just want to give him a couple of dollars.” We discussed how to help him without offending him. As we finished eating, I reached in my wallet and got a $20 bill in my hand. I thought I’d just talk to him, and see if there was anything he needed. Brandy took our trash to the can, and I, being the out-going, never-seen-a-stranger, person that I am, laid my hand on his shoulder and bent over where he could see my face. I said “Hello there Young Man, how are you doing today?” He couldn’t hear me in that ear, he told me he was deaf, as he cupped his hand over the opposite ear. I noticed he had a hearing aid in the other ear, so I moved to that ear, and repeated my question…. He answered by saying, “I’m doing OK, and how are you?” By this time, Brandy was standing beside me, I said, “I’m fine, but I couldn’t help noticing that you had a hole in your shoe. He said, “Yes, I cut that hole out, because I have a sore toe.” I said “Well, I was wondering if you might need a new pair.” He said, “No, I have everything I need.” I asked him if he had enough to eat, or if he’d like me to get him something else. He said, “No thank you, I have to force feed myself now….I lost my dear wife about a year ago, and I have nothing left to live for. She was my whole life, and I’m just waiting to leave this world so I can be with her again.” I offered my sincere condolence for the loss of his wife, and then I asked his name. He told me his name, and a little about his family. He said he was 92 years old, and that his grandpa lived to be 105. He then told me about serving our great country during WWII ….. he said he was thankful that he made it through that ordeal alive and was able to return home to his life. He told me how he was young and happy once.
I told him it was nice meeting him, and to have a nice day. He said, “Well, my life is almost over, and I won’t really have a good day, but you two girls are young, so enjoy your life while you can.”
….and then he sang me a song. I had never heard the song before, but when I came home, I googled some of the lyrics, and this is the song that he was singing to me…here are the lyrics to that old Guy Lombardo song:
Enjoy Yourself Its Later Than You Think
You work and work for years and years, you’re always on the go
You never take a minute off, too busy makin’ dough
Someday, you say, you’ll have your fun, when you’re a millionaire
Imagine all the fun you’ll have in your old rockin’ chair
Enjoy yourself, enjoy yourself it’s later than you think
Enjoy yourself, enjoy yourself while you’re still in the pink
The years go by, as quickly as a wink
Enjoy yourself, enjoy yourself, it’s later than you think
You’re gonna take that ocean trip, no matter, come what may
You’ve got your reservations made, but you just can’t get away
Next year for sure, you’ll see the world, you’ll really get around
But how far can you travel when you’re six feet underground?
Your heart of hearts, your dream of dreams, your ravishing brunette
She’s left you and she’s now become somebody else’s pet
Lay down that gun, don’t try, my friend, to reach the great beyond
You’ll have more fun by reaching for a redhead or a blonde
Enjoy yourself, enjoy yourself it’s later than you think
Enjoy yourself, enjoy yourself while you’re still in the pink
The years go by, as quickly as a wink
Enjoy yourself, enjoy yourself, it’s later than you think
When he finished, I thanked him for sharing that with me, and we said good bye.
I walked to my car where Brandy and I were both in tears. I said, “Well, I thought I’d help an old man, but I think today, it was meant for that old man to help me.”