Many years ago when I started working on the drills, big Bob, myself, and our boss were working down in a town called Hollandale south of Albert Lea! We were just ordering our lunch at the local café in town when I noticed my two coworkers looking behind me.

I heard someone speaking behind me, then Bob said, “Aren’t you going to talk to your friend?” 

I turned around and there stood the biggest farmer I had ever seen with Carhartt bibs on. He put his hand on my shoulder and said, “How you been big John?” 

For an instant I was going to tell him I wasn’t big John but then I replied, “Not too bad!”

He chuckled for a second and asked me where I had moved to. 

I told him I lived up North now.

He then asked me if I still had my horses.

I told him, “No they ate too much hay, so I sold them!”

That made him really chuckle and then he asked me what I was doing back in this area?

I told him we were here for a few days doing a job.

He invited me to come out to his place, if I got a chance, and I told him I would!

He said, “Goodbye” and shook my hand and said, “It was good to see you again!” 

He left, and my coworkers looked at me with puzzled faces and both said, “Who the heck was that and why did he call you big John?” since my name normally is Mike.

I said, “I don’t know!” They both shook their heads and I told them, “I didn’t want to hurt his feelings because he was happy to see big John again!”

Bob said, “What if he comes back tomorrow?”

I said, “I sure hope he doesn’t!”

Well he didn’t!! I wondered for a lot of years after if he was waiting for big John to come visit? Well at least he got to visit with him for a bit in the restaurant! I often wondered what kind of horses I might have had. Maybe I was a cowboy rancher and didn’t even know it? Then I remembered my name was Mike and I didn’t even like horses! They always smelled a little funny to me!

This same type of thing happened again years later in Randall, MN. A railroad worker was waving at me in a restaurant and big Bob was with me there too!

I told Bob, “This guy is waving at me.”

Bob told me to wave back, so I did.

Well this fellow called me Bill and told us to stop by if we had a chance and visit for a while. He told me he was working down the tracks at the next railroad crossing! 

I told him we would if we get a chance.

He said, “Goodbye” and left!

Big bob was sitting laughing and said, “You did it again.”

I just smiled and finished my lunch!

Bob said, “I don’t know how you can do that?”  

I told him, “It’s good to make new friends!”

Then I was wondering how many more are out there like me? You know very nice people? Was my name really Bill and did I work for the railroad too? I know when I was younger, I did sing I BEEN WORKIN ON THE RAILROAD a lot! You see you can be anyone you wish if you put your mind to it!!!!! Mike or John or Bill, you know any one of those!