Tomatoes!

I've gone ten miles out of my way to find a laundry mat with both air conditioning and wifi but I don't get to plug in and work because as I'm putting my clothes into the dryer a very tall older man with a "Viet Nam Vet" cap slung over his forehead approaches me and asks me if he can take a picture of my truck.

I say of course, all four sides! He tells me how much he loves it. I struggle to understand him as he speaks fast, has no teeth, and the laundry mat is so very noisy plus there's loud music playing - music I want to sing and dance along with.

He comes back as soon as I'm finished loading my wash machine - it was hi-teck and I had to get help figuring out how to pay my $4.95 for the damn thing. He starts talking to me about food: he's an organic gardener, retired military, and has a large garden at the airport on land no one wants or can build on. Plus he has another garden in West Philly. He says people aren't looking to grow food anymore but he has some of his grandmother's seeds!

He has misinterpreted my anti-monsanto mural. He doesn't speak Spanish and doesn't realize I'm saying NO GMO's as he points to that symbol and starts to tell me all the bad, side effects of GMO food. He's so happy when I tell him I'm anti-GMO. He talks about horse manure and straw as the only natural things you need to make the soil strong to grow delicious food.

I ask him if he wants some seeds - I tell him I'm also a seed-saver and I love handing out organic seeds to folks. He's very hesitant at first but he has three acres! It must be difficult and expensive to find seeds for that much land! Finally he tells me he has a bag of tomatoes he harvested today that he was going to give to someone else but he'll trade me for seeds!

We make the exchange as I get a phone call I have to answer so I never get to taste the tomato and tell him how yummy they are. And how timely, as it's still too hot to cook