It’s been said that the best way to get to know someone is to break bread with them.
I’d like to add to that statement that pancakes also count. I broke into a lot of the golden, buttery rounds this morning with my plastic fork and a side of syrup. I didn’t dine alone; not by a long-shot. The Idaho Center was filled with hungry Buckaroos like myself.
It wasn’t long before the lady in line ahead of me turned around and started up a conversation. I love it when that happens. She told me that she and her husband just celebrated their fifteenth wedding anniversary. That lead to a story about how they met; they’d both owned classic cars. Her husband was looking over at the vintage cars displayed beyond the gate with a longing look. They’d both sold their vehicles years ago and had regrets.
“We took one of our cars cross country and met so many people,” I was told, “Now, no one bothers with us. The car was the conversation-starter.”
My new friend said she missed that. She told me of how she’d recently brought her cute granddaughter and the family dog to the park, and how people went nuts over the dog but ignored the adorable granddaughter.
“Go figure!” she said, throwing up her hands.
I stepped out of line to visit with Dennis Perry of the Snake River Stampede, and Larry Gebert, a local weatherman that covers all sorts of community events. Larry does a spiel called ‘Flat Larry’. I’d asked him last year at this same breakfast if he was indeed Flat Larry, and he said there was no way to be flat with a filling meal like that one. I agreed.
A very nice woman allowed me to cut in front of her when it was time to return to get breakfast. She gave me a hard time about it, though, and that was great.
Inside the Idaho Center, volunteers from the 4H and other clubs rolled plastic utensils in napkins, poured beverages and made sure we had everything we might possibly need to make our dining experience complete. Around the corner, I met with a crowd of hungry rodeo fans that were watching the events of the arena below and enjoying each other’s company. I saw exactly where I wanted to sit; there was an empty spot at the Prime Time Swingers’ table. Could this morning get any better?
They patted the place beside them and said, “Sit right here!” like the gracious people they are.
I told them I’d seen their video from the morning before on YouTube, and asked them about the little boy that had spontaneously gotten up and danced with them, front and center. They couldn’t praise him enough.
“He did that again this morning!” they said. I said I was sorry I’d missed that.
“You’ve just gotta get up earlier,” one Prime Time gentlemen told me, shaking a mock-scolding finger. My mom used to say the same thing.
The Prime-Timers were on a tight schedule and politely shook my hand and took their leave. I had them all sign my napkin before they departed; I get the feeling these performers are going to experience increased fame, since the debut of the YouTube video. Opal Vieselmeyer, Jose Gonzalez, Norma Stafford, Claudia Olaveson, Jim Glancey, Betty L. Smith, Florance Hall and 'Diana' all gave me their autographs.
I sat alone for about thirty seconds until a family of one dad, two sons, and a nephew came along, who introduced themselves and struck up a conversation. I got to see pictures of their camping trip, hear about the oldest son’s birthday, learn how the fishing was at Hell’s Canyon (pretty good!) and see a photo of the nephew’s classic car. Strangely enough, when I told them about my brother-in-law’s ’68 Camaro and described it, the son flipped through his photos on his phone and found a photo.
“Is it this one?” he asked. It was. He’d been at the Northwest Motorfest Cruise in Boise the week before and had taken pictures of several of the cars. My brother-in-law’s was one of them.
“What are the chances that we’d sit down at the same table, and I’ve have a picture of your brother-in-law’s car?” he said, shaking his head. That started off another wave of discussion about how it’s such a small world, and you never know just how small, or how connected we all are until you start talking to people.
Breaking bread, flapjacks, you-name-it; sharing a meal with people brings them together.
Thousands of people got to share a meal today with their friends and neighbors, thanks to the many volunteers that made the Buckaroo Breakfast happen.
Thank You.
For pictures of the breakfast, go to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/amy_larson
/sets/72157627109537385/
To see the very entertaining video of the Prime Time Swingers, complete with impromptu dancer, see:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaDlGUNyCGk
The Stampede starts TONIGHT. Got your tickets yet?
It’s your rodeo.
http://www.snakeriverstampede.com/
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