In the early 1970s I took the bus from my home in Washington State back to college in Michigan, by way of meeting my friend Barbara Vogt in Wisconsin, dropping her off to meet her boyfriend in South Bend, and planning to take the bus up to East Lansing.
As they drove off, I discovered the South Bend bus station closed at night, and my bus was in the morning. I resigned m
yself to spending the night outside, chilly but doable, and started chatting with this young family who were in the same position.
When it became clear that we were stuck for the night, one of them got on the phone and ordered a rental car. They invited me to come with them to their home in Benton Harbor, where they taught at a Seventh Day Adventist college.
Why not? They were friendly and it was better than waiting in the cold.
In the morning they fed me a breakfast that couldn't be beat. (It was the first time I tasted dried pineapple: delicious!)
In driving me to the bus station, they gave me a tour of their college, of which they were very proud, and why not?
I remember and celebrate their act of kindness every time I eat pineapple.
