#WednesdaysWithHenry…Day 2

“Today is a Good Day for a Good Day”.

I had told Henry that I would be going out of town on Wednesday the 30th and if Tuesday worked for him that I’d like to have him work with me again. Much to my surprise he was there and ready to work.

On the 16th I had asked Henry if I could take a photo and mention on Facebook that he was working with me and he said that would be great.

The first thing he asked me when we saw each other is “Did anyone see my picture?” I let him know that we had 165 “likes” on Facebook and he causally said, “Lets make that 166 because I like it too”.

He immediately asked me to take photos of him in the new jeans he had purchased after working with me two weeks before. I laughed when he said “Wait, let me fix my hair” then pulled it back and straightened out his shirt a bit.

I asked Henry what’s the most important thing that you need, his answer was “love”… I assumed it would be socks. At that moment, probably before that moment, I realized that this unassuming gentle man was teaching me way more than I ever thought I would or could learn from not only a stranger, but from someone who came from a completely different walk of life than I had.

Before I left my house that morning I had made the decision to just go with my heart and not ask my head to interfere with any choices that I was going to make. So following suit I called a Supercuts close by and talked to a woman named Leslie and explained to her that I was helping out a guy who hadn’t had a shower in I didn’t know how long, but I believed a shampoo and haircut would make him feel good, she agreed and said to come on in.

I’m a doer and planner unless I’m procrastinating…I asked Henry after talking to Leslie if he wanted to get a haircut, he said he’s always had long hair but he’d cut it all off if I wanted him to. I assured him that I wasn’t trying to change him and his long hair was fine. He smiled, looked me in the eye and said “Oh but Kari, you’ve already changed me.”

I only let the sentimental moment last for a second and said to him as serious as I’ve ever been, “Now Henry, we both know I am worth more to you alive than dead. You’re getting in my truck with me and if you try to harm me I will drive my truck into a wall before I let you do that.”

He completely ruined my Bad Ass moment by saying, “Nobody has ever been so kind to me in my life, I would never harm you Kari, I would die for you.” I quickly replied, “Nobody is dying today.”

Then we headed to Supercuts for a much-needed shampoo and cut. Henry asked if I could sit next to him while he got his haircut and maybe take some more pictures. He let me know that he wished I would have gotten a photo while Leslie was washing his hair because he knew for certain that he had “gone to Nirvana”. I just shook my head.

While Leslie was cutting his hair I said, “Henry this may become a social experiment”, he replied “I have no idea what that means but it sounds good to me”.

Afterwards we went to Target, I told Henry that I needed to get some toothpaste. He had never been in a Target and liked it very much. I suggested that he try on a few different styles and sizes of jeans. He called me into the dressing room to show me how they fit, earlier while we were detailing, when he bent over I could see his butt, and since we’re friends who are being honest with one another I would just say, “I can see your butt Henry” and he’d pull up his pants. While in the dressing room he crouched down into the same position he was in while cleaning the wheels on the truck and said, “Can you see my butt now?” So I grabbed two pairs of those jeans and threw them into our cart.

It dawned on him around the time that I asked “boxers or briefs?” that this little shopping trip was going to be about him and he was extremely hesitant to mention anything he may need.

I’ve always been fortunate enough to have a home and a roof over my head and food to eat so I wasn’t exactly sure what to do or buy for him but common sense did tell me that socks, underwear and toiletries were a must. I just didn’t know what he may or may not already have so I asked a few more questions.

We picked out a good toothbrush and toothpaste for sensitive teeth. Dove soap because he likes that it has a moisturizer in it, some disposable razors and shaving cream and when I asked if he had deodorant he replied, “What do you think?” This guy has a great sense of humor and certainly doesn’t take this situation as an invitation to throw himself a pity party, it is very unique I would imagine.

When we returned to the gas station I gave Henry a Super Bowl XXXII jacket I had since January 25, 1998, I realized that day why I was hanging onto it.

He asked right away if I could take a picture of him in his new jacket so I did. Then he told me that this was the best day of his life and the only way if could get better would be if somehow we could get a picture of the two of us together…When I said we absolutely could he started looking around the parking lot for someone to take the picture.

That’s when I asked if he had ever heard of a “selfie”? Of course he hadn’t and when I held my phone in front of us a turned the camera around he almost shouted, “There we are.” I snapped a few pictures and tried to get him to smile but he just smirked a little.

While we were looking at the pictures I had taken he said that I had the nicest teeth he had ever seen and that I was an angel. He then said that he has bad teeth so he doesn’t want to ever smile. I told him that I didn’t believe that angel’s smiled with their teeth but with their hearts, and then he gave me the biggest smile proving me right.

Henry gathered up his new belongings and said that he was going to go change into them at the Burger King one block away. He had earlier let me know that he NEVER uses the restroom in Burger King or McDonald’s unless he is a paying customer and has money to buy something, “because their restrooms are meant for their customers”.

Then he asked if I have an email address and let me know that he has one and he could email me when he’s at the library. So I wrote that down for him and gave him some cash to make sure he could be a customer, he tried to refuse the money, silly man, I’m not taking no for an answer ever.

I let Henry know I would be there again January 13th, he promised me he will be there too. Our meeting was not by chance.

Later that day I received an email from Charles Kelley that said ,“Hi Kari, it’s me Henry. I feel good in my new clothes, thank you. Henry”.

#WednesdaysWithHenry that turn into Tuesdays with Henry are still really good days.