One evening when we were staying and working in Detroit Lakes,MN I walked next door to have supper by myself. I was one of 3 people in the whole place at the time.

I ordered my supper and was having some coffee when a young lady came in with a little baby and she sat across the room from me. She was entertaining that baby in a highchair next to her, but kept looking towards the entrance as if she was waiting for someone! 

A short while later this young fellow came strolling in and gave her and the baby a kiss and sat down across from her. He was dirty, so I knew that he had just finished work and came straight to the restaurant.

My supper had come by now and as I was eating, I would glance over and see them holding hands across the table and both fussing with that baby! They finally ordered their meals and then I noticed the young man was secretly taking his wallet out and looking in it and I knew he was wondering if he had enough money to pay for their food? He did this only when she was distracted with the baby and his wallet was on the seat next to him. 

He did this numerous times and finally their food arrived! He put the wallet away and then they all held hands even with the baby and prayed! I stopped eating for a moment and sat there, I didn’t have to meet them to know that they were very good people!

I finished my meal, left a tip for the waitress and went to the register to pay my bill. Then I asked the waitress if she knew the young couple with the baby?

She said, “No!” 

I told her I didn’t know them either but that I would like to buy their supper.

She said that would be very nice!

So, I did. I gave the waitress $40 dollars and asked her if this was enough to cover the bill and give her a tip?

She said, “More than enough!”

I walked back to the motel and went to my room for the evening. Through the years I thought of them every time we went through Detroit Lakes for work! 

There were times, as years went by, that it got real boring being on the road, so one of the biggest kicks I got was to help people who worked the desks at different motels! Sometimes I would sit in the lobby at night visiting with a crew member or motel staff. Some were working to have insurance and I’m sure for money also!

During one stay at the AmericInn Detroit Lakes there was a lady about my age working one night and she was talking to someone on the phone telling them she was hungry and that she should have eaten something before coming to work. So I went to that same Country Kitchen ate dinner and ordered a chocolate shake cheeseburger and fries and went back to the motel. I rang the bell at the front desk and when this lady came out of the office, I asked her if she was still hungry?

She grabbed the box and shake out of my hands, said “Thank you” and I went back to my room grinning! 

Things like this made the work week away from home tolerable.