R A C H E L H A U C K . C O M

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Where everybody knows your face

Swung by McDonalds this morning for my usual - Diet Coke.

As I hobbled inside, the maintenance man grinned and waved. "How're you doing? Why are you hobbling?"

"Cat attack. Long story. But the cat lived."

He laughed.

Inside, the cashier was new to me, but from behind the grin I hear, "Hi!!"

I look up and the usual counter person is waving.

Yeah, sometimes you want go where everyone knows your face. ;)

Labels: Diet Coke, familiar face, friends, McDonalds

posted by Rachel Hauck @ 3:10 PM 1 comments

Monday, February 4, 2008

Hope

The other morning I sat at McDonald's, semi-awake, slurping a DC, thinking of what I needed to do to finish my book edits. I was tired, but feeling good.

As I sat, a group of teens in trucks whipped into the parking lot. Rednecks. Three boys popped out of the first truck. White. Black. White.

It caught my attention. Maybe I'm still stuck in old mind sets that rednecks and blacks don't hang out. Keep a respectful distance.

The white boys were dressed in 4-H tight, skinny blue jeans. The black kid in low rider hip-hop jeans.

Another series of trucks pulls in. More kids hop out and gather at the first truck where they're messing with the stereo system. The McDonalds windows were rattling.

A boy in cami overalls and Larry-the-Cable guy sleeveless t-shirt joins the crowd. Another boy with a Confederate hat. He looked half-Latin, half-white, maybe half-black.

I watched enthralled. Something about them fascinated me. I thought how out of touch racial and government leadership in America is with today's teens. They're still talking like it's 1960 or 1970. And truth, maybe 20 years ago I wouldn't have witnessed such a scene, but it's 2008 and the next "generation" is becoming more and more color blind.

I felt hope. Not the kind of hope from my soul, but a God whispered hope. There is hope for our country in those teens and millions like them. Just like many of our current leaders who rejected authority and social norms in their teens and twenties, today's youth will do the same to them.

Current leadership still stuck in their spoiled mind set, we-know-it-all from the '60s are now the very leadership and ideologies they hated. They are the ones stuck in the past, out of touch, unwilling to change their ways.

Later, as I told Tony the story, I teared up. The hope is not of me but of the Lord. God has put hope in these young ones. I put my hope in God.

Labels: future, hope, McDonalds, teens

posted by Rachel Hauck @ 8:49 AM 0 comments

Thursday, January 3, 2008

On a very cold Florida morning

I road my bike to McDonalds. The wind was cold, the sky blue and sunny. It's been so long since we've had cold weather, I couldn't resist my bike.

And, Tony has my car. Someone has his truck.

Saw Henry and Jane at McDonalds, but I couldn't stay. Need to get home to work.

Note to self: hard to ride bike with a Diet Coke. Falls over in basket.

posted by Rachel Hauck @ 11:55 AM 0 comments

Friday, December 28, 2007

Friends at McDonalds

Went to McDonalds this morning to read and drink Diet Coke. Ran into Jane and Henry. Ended up talking to them instead of reading.

They are McDonald's patrons, too. They live in a near-by Bayside community.

Talked to long, but they are good company. Went to library to work an hour later.

Labels: friends, reading, talking

posted by Rachel Hauck @ 12:34 AM 0 comments

Monday, December 24, 2007

McDonalds and me

Since I was a kid, I loved McDonalds. I grew up in a large family, five siblings, and while we had plenty, Dad couldn't afford to take seven people to McDonalds very often.

So, when it was our birthday, we got the McDonalds burger of our choice. I always ordered a Big Mac, large fry and coke. Yum!

This fast food place is as much a part of my Americana as baseball, er, football, riding bikes in the street, sunny afternoons at the community pool, MASH reruns.

As a teen, I worked for MickyDees for a few years.

On a road trip, McDonalds is always my stopping place - even if it's just to use the facilites. When I traveled for Harris, I always made a point to stop at the local McDonalds throughout the country and the world. I've eaten at McDonalds in Europe, Australia, and Central and South America.

It's like visiting old friends.

Now, a lovely McDonalds is a mile from me in Bayside. I've developed the habit of going there most mornings for my "coffee," a large Diet Coke.

I know some of the crew, if not by name, by sight. I know other customers. In fact, if I go there to work, it's hard because someone stops to talk.

I've had some funny happenings there. So, I thought I'd chronicle them here. Stay tuned!

posted by Rachel Hauck @ 1:16 PM 1 comments