effen beautiful

Last night while walking from the gym to the grocery store, Matt and I spotted a horse drawn carriage.

Matt slyly spoke up, revealing a bit of a grin...
"Take a horse drawn carriage to the grocery store... where else can you do that but Cartagena.
It's effen beautiful."

There's a story.

On my return from my first solo trip to the US, I met an interesting character. Waiting to board a flight from Houston to Panama a ginger man donning a redneck cap began speaking to me.

Sidenote: Randoms talk to me pretty often.  I have been amazed by the life stories and tales that have been told by total strangers.   It may be the reason I pursued a counseling degree. I also think it is very likely hereditary, because it happens even more to my mother.

Back to the story.

After the small talk, Mr. Talkative Ginger begins telling me about his brand new baby.

{I can't promise that the following is verbatim, but it's close.}

Mr: "I was working on a job outside of Boston. That's where my wife is. We just had a baby. Effen beautiful. Baby boy. Looks exactly like me. Effen gorgeous. Red hair. Blue eyes. He's effen amazing.

Obviously I've made this post soothing on the ears.
Mr. Talkative Ginger did not do the same for me.

He proceeded to ask me why I was flying to Panama. I explained that I was on my way to Cartagena.

Mr: "Cartagena. I worked out there. Effen beautiful, that place. I tell you what, I don't know if it gets much better. It's effen gorgeous."

He continued to ask me about the location I live in and then if I like to take the horse drawn carriages. I don't know if I have ever mentioned my disdain for the horse drawn carriages, but it's strong. My heart breaks for the poor ponies. They are so skinny, like exposed ribs. Their conditions can't be good and they just don't look like they get a lot of love. It makes me sad, so I want nothing to do with adding to their sadness. I obviously don't share this with Mr. Talkative Ginger. Instead I respond with a simple 'no'.

Mr: "Oh it's effen amazing. Where else in the world can you take a horse and carriage to the grocery store... have it wait for you... and ride it home? That's effin beautiful. It's effin great. That city is effin gorgeous. Effin amazing."

I silently sent a message to the universe, hoping that Mr. Talkative Ginger would not be my seat mate during the four hour flight that was in front of me.

He was not.
He was two rows up.
Talking. The. Entire. Time....
sharing his colorful language and adjectives with another unassuming soul.

Bless his heart.