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An Aussie

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We stopped for coffee this afternoon at the Exxon convenience store in Wimberley.  This is a busy store because their gasoline prices match the non branded stations in town, they are open 24 hours a day, and they have a very complete convenience store including hot lunches served to your liking.  Plus, they have tables for sitting and relaxing.   In the past it is in this sort of environment that we have encountered the most interesting people.  Sometimes we initiate the conversation, sometimes they do; not predictable at all.
As I was paying for our two coffees at one of two registers, there was a man of about 60 years of age buying his lunch at the other register.  Holy cow, what a thick accent; unmistakably Australian.  He was such a stir with his "mate" this and "mate" that it caused the lady who was taking my payment to have one ear cocked towards him at the other register and still paying attention to our transaction.  I said to her "I am betting that you wished you had an Australian accent like that"  She knew what was going on and said "yeah".
We sat down at a table next to his (there are only four tables each with four chairs) and he kept trying to catch our attention and finally said to Dee " do you live around here?".   Well, that was all that it took, so we gathered ourselves together and talked mainly about his travels and some of ours.
Yes, his accent was real as he lived in Australia all of his life with an occupation of a truck driver.  He normally drove big over-the-highway trucks, probably of the kind we occasionally see with a tandem trailer.  He said railroads in Australia do not play a big part in freight haulage, and  that's why the trucking industry is so strong in Australia. Australia has also had a problem with track width standardization which slowed development down a bit.
It was apparent he hates kangaroos, as he called them "evil" yet the Australian government has passed laws protecting them and so they multiply unchecked.  He has a bum leg due to a kangaroo kick many years ago.
We talked all sorts of topics like Australian opal mining where miners live underground because it is cooler and Coober Pedy above ground is hot as blazes.
He has travelled all over the USA, his only asset is a backpack.  No car, no motorcycle, not even a motel if he can avoid it by sleeping under the stars with his blanket from the backpack. For example, this morning he was in LaGrange and had to have only two hitched hiked rides to make it to Wimberley.  He was not sure where he was headed next but took in our many suggestions which he quickly found on his map.  When we discussed the hardships of travelling as he does, he responded by pointing upwards indicating that God was his tour guide.
It would have been good to get his picture posing with us, but never gave it a second thought in order to respect his privacy.
I wonder where he is tonight?
Nest time we go back to the Exxon store, should Jessica be there at the cash register, I will have to ask her in my best Australian accent "how goes it, mate?" and test her reaction.

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