do you hear what i hear?

as a journalist it's not often that i get an opportunity to really really listen to people. usually i'm on some sort of deadline or in a situation where i have to try and determine what makes the stranger sitting across from me tick in less than 15 minutes.

tonight, as i was sitting in the open-air bar at the laluna resort in grenada. i listened to a lot of people. first, there was the young couple from new hampshire, who were recalling their day exploring the island in their rental car. it took them two hours to get to a place that was right down the road because of one errant turn.

amusing.

then there was the couple from dallas. they were celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary. the husband travels a lot and the wife stays at home with the kids. what a treat this little honeymoon must have been for her.

nice.

then there was the couple from new york city, who claimed they didn't know how long they'd been married, nor when the honeymoon ended. but even though they were on holiday they came to the bar equipped with two iphones and a mac laptop.

alrighty then.

and lastly was a trio of female friends from new jersey, virginia and north carolina. two of them had played college hoops and one was a basketball coach. they ordered margaritas and talked sports with me for 40 minutes.

fun.

but mostly i talked to kellon carter, the bartender and one of my new good friends. at 25, kellon has already lived a full life, but is concerned that he's not as productive and ambitious as he was at 18. he's married but his wife lives in ottawa, canada with their 10-month old son. they communicate daily by web cam. kellon is the kind of guy who has so much to offer but is just a tad bit lost.

i especially loved his insight into politics, culture and religion.

i think he's going to be fine. he's smart, has a good heart and makes a mean rum punch. in grenada that's all you really need.