Interesting Places

This afternoon I was asked to greet a man who came to produce a promotional video for my place of employment. I showed him to his room, helped him grab lunch and made small talk with him.

I learned that he has traveled worldwide to create videos, so I asked him where the most interesting place is that he’s visited.

After reflecting upon the question for a few moments, he mentioned Rwanda. He visited various regions of that country and produced video about the atrocities that have taken place there – things like AIDS and genocide – and stories of people affected by them. I found myself absorbed by his vivid recollections.

Then, without warning, without changing gears whatsoever, he added his runner-up: Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Before I could register what had just happened, he was gushing about the best barbeque he’s ever tasted.