Cheeseburger in Paradise Made Mom Cry

No. My mom doesn't cry when she hears the Jimmy Buffett song. That's my dad, he hates Buffett for some reason. However, I think he secretly likes Cheeseburger in Paradise since he is a fatass and loves cheeseburgers. Sorry dad.... No, my mom cried for a different reason. Let me explain...

Dad imparting his wisdom near Forrest's bench

All this cold weather got me to thinking of warmer times and family fun on our summer trips last year. We do an annual Griswold drive down to Hilton Head South Carolina every year and this past year added a day trip to historic Savannah while there. Savannah is great. I got to see lots of landmarks where my favorite movie, Forrest Gump was filmed. That's me and dad in the picture,  sitting in front of a fountain not far from where the famous "bench" scene was filmed. The bench is no longer where it was in the movie as it became a hazard due to all the tourists taking pictures in the middle of a busy street. It's the South, people, not Times Square. So, on this day trip, we stopped for lunch at a bar, I mean restaurant that has food, along the river in the touristiest (made up the word) part of town. Sitting in front of the bar before you walk in was a homeless guy and his cute little white dog (who ironically looked like my cousins' Cella and Lauren's dog Buffett). Of course I had to play with the dog a little before gruff Dad dragged us away and into the restaurant not even giving the guy a chance to cash in on his dog's hard work. That's cynical Dad. During the meal, I needed to be escorted in and out of the restaurant as usual due to my tantrums and shoe throwing, each time spending a little more time with the dog. Every time we came back in and Mom said we should give the poor guy some cash, cynical Dad would gruffly shut her down telling us all we would not fall for the man's ploy. I think he does this so my Big Bro and Big Sis will learn the ways of the world and not be easy marks for people when they grow up...

After an hour of my act, my act got old and Mom dragged me out kicking and screaming while all of the other patrons watched, jaws slacked. Dad "volunteered" to wait inside with Big Bro and Big Sis to pay the check. Mom instructed Dad to wrap the leftovers to bring to the man outside. Dad rolled his eyes. Mom and I played with the dog a little more and watched the freighter ships go by, but Dad was taking too long so we went back in. When we got to the table, the check had obviously been paid, but Dad was still waiting. That's when the waitress came back with a white paper bag. I wondered if it was a gift for me, but I could tell Mom knew what it was right away  as she started to cry. Yup, compassionate dad had bought a cheeseburger and fries to take out to the man. And he did this so my Big Bro and Big Sis will learn the ways of the world, and not be self centered jerks when they grow up. He explained to them that the man deserved a real cheeseburger if we were going to give him anything at all, not our scraps to further chip away at his dignity, and not our money which might further why he was in that situation in the first place. The cheeseburger was a perfect solution. The dog even got our scraps.

So, next time you pass a homeless person, dog or no dog, on your way to lunch or dinner. Give them 5 minutes of paradise by feeding them a hot cheeseburger and fries. Especially on these cold winter days. If you do, share it with me on Facebook so I can smile too.