06/14/2025
I STOPPED TO HELP AN OLD MAN INTO A RESTAURANTâAND HE CHANGED THE WAY I SEE MY OWN DAD
It was supposed to be a quick pizza run. Iâd just finished a brutal shift at the shop, my hands were still covered in grease, and all I wanted was a large pepperoni and my couch. But right as I pulled into the lot, I saw this older guy standing at the edge of the sidewalk. He had one of those metal canes, the kind that clinks with every step, and he was trying to make it up the curb outside Salernoâs.
People were walking by, rushing in or out with their takeout bags, barely glancing at him. I donât know what made me stopâmaybe guilt, maybe instinctâbut I rolled down my window and asked, âYou need a hand?â
He looked over, kinda surprised, and nodded. Didnât say much, just smiled.
So I parked, jogged over, and held out my arm. He gripped it with more strength than I expected. We moved real slow, and I noticed his shoes were the kind my dad used to wearâbig, clunky orthopedic ones with Velcro straps. I suddenly had this weird flash of Dad standing in our kitchen, trying to open a jar, getting frustrated, and pretending he wasnât.
I got the old man inside, and the hostess greeted him like she knew him. She said, âHey, Mr. Benning, usual table?â
He chuckled and said, âNot alone today.â
Then he looked at me and said, âYou hungry, son?â
I didnât know what to say. I hadnât planned to stay, but the way he said itâit felt like maybe this wasnât just about the pizza...Detail in the Comments or Most relevant => All comments đ