Keeping Promises

I arrived in Amarillo full of anticipation because visiting this city has been on my bucket list since I was a little boy. It seems like every western movie in those days a cowboy or gunslinger had a girl waiting for him in Amarillo. I always imagined Amarillo had to be an exotic town full of beautiful women! Also, the Cadillac Ranch resides near Amarillo and it has been on my bucket list for many years as I dreamed of traveling Route 66. I would be boondocking for my overnight stay at the Texas 66 Visitor Center on 6th street just a few blocks from the historic 66 District with restaurants, bars, shops, antique stores and the like.

After setting up the trailer I wasted no time in getting in my truck, with a can of spray paint, and heading out to the Cadillac Ranch. For those of you who don’t know, the ranch is a piece of artwork consisting of 10 Cadillac automobiles 1949-63 buried nose first in the ground. The cars have been decorated with graffiti over the years and in fact it is strongly encouraged as cans of spray paint are sold on site. Some of you may be thinking, so what is the big deal? I can’t say for sure other than it is one of those quirky things people seem to connect with and I know I bought into the idea. I was lucky enough to score a couple of large pieces of paint chips which are okay to pick up but there is no peeling allowed. You can actually find some striking pieces of jewelry made of this material.

I left the ranch and headed back into town and while driving back I kept having this nagging feeling of a promise I had made back in Pontiac, Illinois. My new friend Randy, who was the beneficiary of a pint of Jameson Irish Whiskey, asked me to promise to visit The Broken Spoke Bar and have a drink in his remembrance. I have to admit I really didn’t feel like going to a bar this night but I just couldn’t drive by for at least one beer. Upon entering The Broken Spoke I saw that it was a typical bar with pool tables, a stage for a band, a horseshoe shaped barn, and a fair amount of patrons of mixed ages. The first thing the stood out was that most everyone was smoking. I hadn’t been in a public place in Michigan for years where indoor smoking is allowed so it was a bit of a shock! I found a place in the middle of the horseshoe and ordered a Shiner Bock. I struck up a conversation with an older gentleman named Waltoon, a bass player named Rudy, and a local lady named Cat. Waltoon was a hoot at 81 years old he was flirting with all the ladies, especially the attractive red headed bartender. He kept telling her how pretty she was and one time she looked to me for a little help. I said, “don’t look at me, you are not one of those standard redheads, you are very attractive! She laughed and said she and her husband have had that conversation about how there are attractive redheads and non attractive redheads, not a whole lot in between. Don't yell at me, I am simply repeating her words! I had been there about 45 minutes and thinking this is exactly the kind of place I could see Randy frequenting when I decided I wanted to salute him. I asked the folks sitting around the horseshoe who would drink a shot of Jameson if it was on me? All but one was up for it so I told them I buy you all a shot but you have to listen to a story first. So, I related the story about Randy and I and everyone thought it was pretty cool so I lifted my glass and said, “to Randy”. I stayed long enough to have a second beer and began asking around for a place to eat. All the locals recommend a place called the Goldenlight that serves burgers that melt in your mouth. I asked for my tab and when I received it the total was only $7! I said to the bartender, “young lady this isn’t right I bought a round for everyone sitting at the bar.” She informed me that Waltoon took care of it and I only owed her for 2 beers. Wow! I shook Waltoons hand and thanked him profusely, said goodbye to Randy and Cat and was on my way to the Goldenlight. The Goldenlight was a little restaurant with counter seating and some table seating. I sat at the counter so I could watch the fry cook work his magic with the burgers. After a few minutes another gentleman in his late 60’s came in and sat next to me. We talked for a while and I discovered he was recently widowed and I listened as he told me about his wife. Later, his daughter and son-in-law joined us and we had a really nice conversation between us all. I discovered things such as the older gentleman ( I never got his name) was originally from Pittsburgh and that his daughter was a huge Kansas City Chiefs fan. I asked her why the Chiefs when she is a native of Texas? Because Patrick Mahomes went to Texas Tech was her reasoning. I decided it was time to head back to my trailer and said my goodbyes to the new folks I had just met and went to check out at the line at the register. I told the cashier I somehow misplaced my check. She informed me that I had not lost it but that the nice people I had been talking to had paid for me! I am just astounded by the friendliness and hospitality of the good people of Amarillo. To think it all began with a random act of kindness to a young man named Randy in Pontiac, Illinois. Randy so wanted to do something for me but wasn’t able because I was leaving the morning he got paid. His solution was to share a place he enjoyed with me when I passed through Amarillo. Randy will never know that his desire to do something kind for me actually materialized by the simple act of me sharing his old hang out and remembering him. Here is to Randy!