People You Meet...

I travel and meet people. Here's a guy we met on a recent trip to New Orleans. Now I don't usually do all the talking when I meet a guy like this but I let him talk and just get his story. I am sorry to say I was so busy listening to his story that I did not get his name even though we had two separate visits as we waited at the bus stop on Magazine Street.  

This fellow was the oyster shucker at a neighborhood bar called Tracy's. Kind of an Irish place and it seems as if the oyster bar, located in the corner of the open dining area was all his to operate as he pleased. He told us his hours were 12pm to 8pm. That's pretty good for a town like New Orleans, not too work too early and off before things start happening. He handled all the details of oyster supply, arranging delivery of the freshest, best priced shellfish to be found from the most reliable suppliers. Since it was early in the season prices were not good and ran about $12 a dozen. He told us because of that he usually put 14 oysters on a plate. 

Sadly we never got to try out his oysters since both days we visited the bar was not open yet and the one time we went in for a bite to eat it was after the oyster bar was closed, our friend no where in sight and the offerings from the kitchen were just the typical wings, sandwiches and fry baskets you might find anywhere.    

Our friend told us that he once shucked 1600 oysters in a shift. I don't recall the length of the shift and I don't really remember how many it was but I do know it was a righteous fete. He wowed us with a disappearing/reappearing cigarette trick. He shared a bit of his faith and I saw him being kind to a street looking person. Come to think of it, who was this man we met? Haven't we heard about a man like this before? Shouldn't we be hardworking, friendly, kind and be able to do simple magic tricks? 

I think so.