Country is what everybody calls him and he’s been standing out at the corner of 40 and Fayetteville street for the last year and half or so. I see him pretty much everyday, rain or shine Country out holding his cane and hand drawn sign with a large smiley face and the words Smile and Sonrie. If I had known Spanish I wouldn’t have had to ask in order to know that Sonrie meant smile. On the days that I don’t bike to work, I drive down Fayetteville cross 54 and wait for the light onto Eastbound 40. The way that the lights are synced means to my great annoyance that I will always wait. Depending on how long the line of cars is, I’ll roll down my window, Country will walk over to my car and say hello. I’ve gotten to know a little bit about Country in the our 30 second conversations over the last year. I’ve found out that his sister also works at IBM, he goes to Chapel Hill Bible Church and that he lives in the woods with his tent and his gas stove. This week he told me,

“You know I’ve never thought much about this global warming, but with as hot as it’s been, it’s real. Y’all should be carpooling.”

You’re right Country, You’re right.