Eight is Enough

This picture was taken outside a hotel in Buena Vista. Buena Vista is a Spanish term that means ‘good view’ and the town is located in very scenic part of the state. It’s a small mountain community with a population of 2,196.

This week I spent a couple of days in Buena Vista locked in meeting rooms. I arrived a little before noon and a few of us met from noon until 8:45 PM. By that time, we were all brain dead and decided to go to dinner and then get back together the next morning at 6:00 to continue.

At ten o’clock, I walked into the hotel room but was still pretty worked up from the meeting. So, I decided to go for a walk.

Now Buena Vista is one of those towns that shuts down at 10:00 PM, which is not a problem if all you want to do is go for a walk. I decided to walk down the road about a mile to the stoplight, cross the street, and walk back to the hotel. As soon as I started a police officer drove by, not a big deal. A minute or two later he passed again going the other way. Okay, now he is just checking to see what I was up to, still not a big deal. By the time I had walked to the light he had passed me five times. The fifth time I waved – he didn’t.

I crossed the street and was heading back to the hotel thinking my troubles with the law were behind me. But they weren’t. He passed me again – this time slowing way down. The seventh time, I saw him coming so I walked to the curb and gave him a friendly wave. He waved back. Then this thought popped into my head, what if the next time he passes I just take off running. It made me chuckle at least until I remembered that police officers carry guns. He passed me once more by the time I got to the hotel.

Either I was the most suspicious person in Buena Vista or it was a really slow night. So, I repeat, this picture is a view from the hotel - not the police station. I was locked in a meeting room not a jail cell. Which begs the question – is there a difference?