This morning I threw my bike in the back of my car and went back to the auto service center to check in with Dave.  He is getting to know me and my car problems better and better.  While he was writing down my mileage and VIN # I took my bike out of the Aztek and wheeled it over near his desk.  

He came over and started putting things in the computer.  He glanced at the bike and suddenly became a person instead of a dealership employee.  He said he admired me for going places on the bike.  He said the last time he rode a bike was the week before he got his driver’s license.  Before that he was always on the bike or the skateboard – went everywhere on them.  The truth was, he just didn’t have time or energy for doing things like that anymore. Most nights when work was over he went home, sat on the couch with a beer, turned on ESPN for a couple hours and then went to bed.  Not even energy to cook a meal.  He didn’t look very happy about this.  

While he continued writing up the service request another guy came in, opened a drawer on Dave’s desk and helped himself to a bottle of Aleve.  I asked Dave if he was the local dispensary – his friend laughed and said that Dave was  “my drug…, oops, no, my pharmacist”.  Dave said I wouldn’t believe all the places that he hurt from broken bones, dislocated shoulder and other injuries.  He said most mornings he takes a cup of coffee and three Aleve for breakfast and it gets him through the day pretty well.  He didn’t look happy about this either.  I was hoping that Dave took time for a good lunch, now that I knew what he had for breakfast and supper. 

Poor guy. If I had to guess I would say Dave is about 30 years old. I’m just sayin’ I kind of wanted to hug him.