The Stranger I Met Today

"Is that a pineapple on your necklace, sir?” I asked.  The brass charm looked heavy and laid on the man’s chest, equidistant from the button and button hole on his flannel shirt. 

“Yeah.”

“Are you from Hawaii?”

“Nah.”

“Do you like pineapple a lot?”

“It’s good.”

“So, I need to know now, what’s the deal?”

“It’s a South Carolina thing.  They love pineapples down there and I lived there.”

“I guess South Carolinians are a hospitable bunch,” I said. 

The man swung his baseball cap around so the brim was now behind his head.  He leaned in slightly.   

“What do you mean?” he asked. 

“You know, pineapples are a universal symbol of hospitality,” I said.  My last trip to Colonial Williamsburg flashed through my mind.  Around Christmas, pineapples are often centerpiece items of the decorations.  They sit in the centers of tables and wreaths, flanked by apples and holly. 

“I never knew that.  Isn’t that funny, that I wear one and I’ve never heard of that?” he asked.  The man gently tugged at his necklace, let out a ‘hmmph’ and then walked away. 

Jewelry can be a source of personal statement and education.