Random, coincidence, or divine?

I was on a run this morning, and while I was stopped at and waiting for a light to turn green so I could cross over a major street and continue on my run path, this guy who appeared to have just arrived and to be waiting for the same light asked me a question, “Do you eat grapes and green onions?

While the tall, thin, gray-haired older gentlemen, dressed in exercise clothing and a bike helmet (though he didn’t have a bike with him), looked healthy, and it wouldn’t have been unreasonable for him to discuss fruit or vegetables with me, that isn’t where my brain went.

At first I thought he was going to tell me there was a great sale at the farmers market on grapes and green onions. We weren’t anywhere near the farmers market, but, “Great. Thanks," I was about to say, because my brain couldn’t otherwise comprehend such an out of the blue question from this mild-mannered Kirk Douglas look alike.

Truth be told, his pattern of speech, when he asked the question, was a little odd. Or maybe it was that he was staring intently at me for a long 20 seconds as I’d arrived at the light and looked as though he wanted to talk to me. That’s probably why I thought I’d detected a directed tone and a pointed inquisition.

He asked the question again, “Do you eat grapes, purple seedless grapes, and green onions?” and then said, “Because they’re good for your heart.”

I had to ask, “What made you think to ask me that?” I was curious. Was the guy psychic? Could he have known that I have been running in great part to get off of my high-blood pressure medication?

“I actually have high blood pressure," I told him. Then I waited for him to say, "Oh, yeah. I'm psychic." But he didn't. He said, “Just thought I’d ask." Then he added, “If you eat nuts instead of meat, that’ll help, too. And eat raw English Walnuts with cinnamon.”

I informed him I’d given up eating meat and dairy on a regular basis about a year ago and that I put cinnamon in my fruit smoothies every morning. “Eat the walnuts with the cinnamon and the green onions with the grapes,” he said, “There is something about the combinations that is good for your heart. You'll be able to stop drinking your smoothie in no time.”

"Oh, it's a healthy smoothie," I informed him, and told him the ingredients, just berries, almond milk, and cinnamon." I'd have told him I add hemp seed and cacao on my run days, for extra calories, but what would he care?

Like old men do, when they get stern but gentle, he said, "Alright, keep your smoothie, then. But try the walnuts with the cinnamon."

The light turned green; it was time form me to start running to catch this annoying short light of mine, and as I started off, I said, “Well, gosh. Thanks for the tips.” “You’re welcome,” he said,” and when I looked back, I think he went back from which way he came and did not cross the light I was waiting for, which was weird.

I also thought it was weird that he was wearing the bike helmet yet had no bike. And who starts any conversation with a stranger in the middle of her run with, “Do you eat grapes and green onions?”

I’m going to buy some green onions and some more walnuts today. I am going to eat them in combinations. What’s kinda funny, is that now I’m glad I bought as many grapes a I did at the store yesterday. (I’d oscillated on whether or not I should break up the bag or just buy the whole damn thing.)

I’m just saying, having that guy come out of nowhere and tell me something that could be good for my heart, that was weird, random, very cool and I’m wondering if it was divine. The advice couldn't hurt. When was a grape, green onion, walnut, or a bit of cinnamon ever bad for anyone?

Anyway, I liked it, the advice, how random and out of the blue it was. I've been smiling every since.