Maurice In Transit

Maurice in Transit

Maurice got on the Portland commuter train and walked slowly past me and the other passengers in the car. As he did, he glanced down at my feet and said, “Nice pedicure.” The two guys next to me laughed. After a few minutes Maurice addressed me from several seats away: “I hope you didn’t take offense,” he said. “I just noticed your feet right off. They look good. I mean, I like the color and everything.”

“No worries,” I told him. “No offense taken.” We rode a few more minutes in silence, then he stood, ambled forward, and sat down across from the two men on my side of the car. “My name’s Maurice,” he said, extending his hand to me. I shook it politely, but I didn’t really look at him.

“You going to work?” he asked.

“Sort of,” I said. “More like a meeting.”

“Is your company big?” he wanted to know.

“My company’s just me,” I told him.

“Oh,” he replied. “I don’t mean to be forward or anything, but you’re different. You’re not from around here, are you?”

“No,” I said. “Texas.”

“Texas! Well, my pastor’s from Kill-in, Texas.”

Kill-in didn’t register at first. Then I took a wild guess. “Killeen, maybe?”

“Yeah, that’s it! Killeen! I’m livin’ out in California, see—I just came here to hook up with some friends.”

I nodded, but honestly, I was trying hard to end our chat. I couldn’t quite figure out his angle and assumed that Maurice was flirting, looking for money, or a little of both. Either way, he was undaunted by my lack of enthusiasm.

No matter how uninterested I appeared, he kept on pitching lines to me. My stop was finally called, and I stood. “Have a nice day, Maurice,” I said. I smiled. He did too.

Now I’m wondering if I don’t sometimes look like Maurice to people I meet: angling for any conversational advantage and the chance to sell them on something, like me or my faith, perhaps. I decided that being sized up and targeted for a hard sell isn’t particularly flattering. Even if the hustler is polite. Thank you for the lesson, Maurice.

Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you.

1 Peter 3:15, NASB