Batter up.

Today, I stood behind the bar and watched an elderly gentleman eat lunch. 

He was alone. 

He was sitting at a 4 person table. 

He ordered an enchilada and a chili relleno. 

I watched as he took a fork to the enchilada in pursuit of that first bite. He used the side of his fork to cut a bite sized portion. After cutting the bite sized portion, I watched as he tried to lift the bite from his plate to his mouth. As he was doing this, I noticed something. 

His hand was shaking uncontrollably. He’d maneuver the bite of food onto the fork only to get it inches off his plate before it’d fall right back where it started. I watched him repeat this time and time again before I could no longer stand to bear the frustration and sadness. 

He’d bend his head to the plate as close as he could in an attempt to get the food to his mouth. Still, he only managed to find success about as often as a major league baseball player reaches base, which is about twice out of every 10 at bats. 

For a second, I wanted to approach and tell him that I was watching. I wanted to tell him about my grandpa who suffered from the same ailment and that I never realized what a burden those shakes in his hands must’ve been.

As kids, we’d sit and watch my grandpa, shaken handedly, try to eat and drink with about as much success as this gentleman I was watching had. 

Sometimes, I’d mock him at the dinner table and spill food and drink all over myself in an attempt to get a laugh.

It usually worked. My grandpa thought I was the funniest. 

Even if he was lost in frustration over the tremor of his hands, I think he found the humor in my eight year old self making light of the entire circumstance.

At least that’s what I’m telling myself. 

I decided not to approach the man sitting in my restaurant. For what reason, I couldn’t tell you. 

I guess my attention was taken elsewhere before I could decide to approach him. 

Before I knew it, the man was gone. 

I’ll be thinking about him though. 

I’ll be thinking about my grandpa who passed back in 2016 too. 

And I’ll be thinking about how lucky I am to still be able to do the things I’ve always been able to do. 

I know it won’t be this way forever.