throwing kisses.....

Lefty, they called me....

The group of regulars, coming in for their morning coffee. I poured the coffee left handed, and they assured me it tasted better for that. I read in my home town paper, that Floyd passed away. He was the ring leader in daily chortle about discussions favoring my life. Almost fifteen years since I worked the diner, but feels like yesterday sometimes.
A group of three farmers, with so many interests, some different, most alike, but they all favored the coffee and the same taboo of picking on the bubbly waitress....me.
If they only knew, how many times they were all thought of over the years, and how often I did heed their advice.
Floyd, tried to get a rise out of the other waitress's one Saturday morning, by attempted to catch a kiss. Although, very much a gentleman, he would have never done such a thing. After my third passing of coffee, I leaned over and gave Floyd a kiss on the cheeck.
He smiled, and said
"Amy, never freely throw kisses, your too good of a girl, remember that." Shortly after that comment he goes... If I hadn't freely thrown a kiss out there though, I would have never kissed the one woman that mattered, the woman I married. ( So... possibly a double edged sword. )
Knowing what I did of Floyd, and the rest of the men, I guarantee they were quite the charmers in their "courting" days.
However, the statement of "throwing kisses" didn't get thought of till last night.
Sitting with friends at the Eagles last night, all bantering about the ho hum doldrums of Cupid himself....Valentine's Day. Jim, the "farmer" the likeable cause of most of our jokes anyway, made a comment of being a kid at heart, and that started the candy.
We had a bag of Hershey kisses. The kisses got thrown around for the most part of the remainder of the evening. It became the joke, with the five of us in there that were really "freely throwing kisses."
Had just read Frank's obituary, and thinking of those days, I couldn't help but laugh of his advice.....and although Frank's advice was most likely not meant to be the chocolate kiss, it was a night that molded a memory.
So as I deftly threw those kisses around, I can't help but think...... you really knew what you were talking about.
The quarter under the coffee cup, the twinkle in your eye, and the "matter" in which you discussed my life I am grateful for having known you.
The last time I saw you was August 17th, 2007 on my father's birthday at Popo's. For old time sake, I poured the coffee. You smiled, and before my family left, you gave me a quarter. I still have it.
To my posse of men, Floyd, Frank and Milon, thanks for the reflection, and allowing me to throw kisses.