ON THE GO WITH BOINGO - Flawed Perfection

Jellyfish Bar Perdido Key, FL

This young lady was competing in the Bikini Contest they had at the Jellyfish Martini Festival today.
I know what you're thinking.  Skinny waif in a bikini.  Look how thin she is, bet she doesn't eat, she probably doesn't even have any organs.  And funny enough, you'd be closer than you thought.   I was chosen to be one of the judges for the event, and thought I'd talk to the girls before I judged them on the superficial.  Her story was my favorite.  24 years old and going to school to study sonography-an admirable profession. Very sweet disposition. Full of hope and life and none of the jaded disdain we older broads acquire through our experiences.  If you look closely at the photo, you'll see a scar right down the middle of her stomach.  I asked her what had happened.  She told me she'd been in a horrible car accident when she was 16 years old.  She'd broken three ribs, and damaged a number of her internal organs.  She had to be life flighted out of the accident to the trauma center.  "I died once, and they had to bring me back." she told me.  Clearly, that experience hadn't hindered her joie de vivre!  This girl has this enormous scar practically dividing the two halves of her body, and what does she do?  BIKINI CONTESTS!  So next time you see a skinny girl in a teeny little bathing suit, and your first instinct is to try and drown her, or shove a cheeseburger down her throat, stop for a sec, and just talk to her. She may give you the straight skinny on embracing your awesomeness in spite of your flaws!

ON THE GO WITH BOINGO----Loves Gas Station Exit 44 Biloxi MISSISSIPPI.

Standing in line at Subway getting ready to order my sandwich, I saw a black man about my age slowly walk up and get in line. He was carrying a backpack ,had a down look on his face, and was staring off into space. I looked at him and said 

"C'mon man! Smile. Life is good." 

His face lit up, and he said in a VERY strong foreign accent "Oh. EET EES GOOD. I am jest very TIe-AHD." 

"You have an accent! Where are you from?" I asked.

"I'm from Africa. I drive a truck here."

"Africa? Vous parlez francais?"

"A LEETEL BEET." he smiled.

"Where in Africa?"

"South Africa."

"Afrikaans then?"

'n bietjie" (a little bit in Afrikaans)

"What is your mother language?"

"(CLICK) Khoisan!" The FREAKIN' CLICKY LANGUAGE from AFRICA! So I spent the next five minutes trying to click, while he stood there just laughing at me.

"What's your name?" 

"Steve"

I reached out my hand to shake his. "Steve, I'm Olga, it was a pleasure to meet you!" 

"And also you, Olga."

He paid for his sandwich, and headed off out the door with a wave goodbye and a new spring in his step. I grabbed my sandwich and pulled out my card to pay. The girl at the counter said "He already got yours." I smiled, pleasantly surprised, and looked out the window to see if I could see him. He was just pulling out of the parking lot, in a COCA-COLA truck! 

The Gods MUST be Crazy!

On the Go with Boingo

Everyone always says you shouldn't talk to strangers. I adamantly disagree. If you don't, you miss out on meeting some of the COOLEST PEOPLE who will ever enter into your world. One of the things that gets me excited over almost anything else is a room full of people I don't know. Every single one of them has a story. And some of their stories will blow your mind.

I will be chronicling my encounters with the newest members of my life's walk here, to share with you. Perhaps I'll inspire some of you to take that leap of faith and reach out to someone you don't know. It may be the best decision you'll ever make.