I see many posts where some here have had negative reactions to thier knives in public. I do understand how our society and schools have demonized the knife as a weapon instead of treating it as a useful tool. But this afternoon I had an encounter at a Panera Bread that was inspiring of hope.
I stopped in to get a bagel and a coffee to go. It was after the lunch rush, so I was the only one at the counter at that time. Some people dining, most of the counter help was cleaning up. One young, very strikingly pretty girl, asked if she could help me.
I told her I wanted an everything bagel and creamcheese and a large coffee, don't toast or slice the bagel. I'm particular, and I hate it when they drop the bagel through those automatic slicers and the top 1/4 inch gets sliced off, leaving the rest of the bagel. I'm strange that way, I like my bagel sliced in the middle. The young girl, about 18 or 19 years old asks me how I'm going to get the cream cheese on the bagel. I tell her I'll just cut it with my Swiss Army knife.
She looks at me with big blue eyes and asks in amazement, "You can do that?"
I look at her carefully to see if she's serious, and she seems to be. The idea of using a knife to slice a bagel is apparently an alien idea. I take out my sak bantam, and she looks at it like its some strange object, then hands me an everything bagel and asks me to show her how I do it. I take the bagel and push the blade strait in till it gets to the hole, and I slice around the hole till I have two halves. She stares at the cut bagel in amazement.
"That's so totally cool." she says. Again I look carefully, but she's serious as a broken leg, and the light bulb going on over her head is almost visible. I realize that nobody has ever showed her how to use a knife on a bagel. She askes to see my sak, and I hand it to her and she examines it carefully. Then I'm stunned by her next question.
" Where can I get one of these?"
Here I am in a Panera Bread store, and a teenage girl is impressed by a sak, and wants to get one for her purse. I feel a little like I fell down the rabbit hole and am in some strange wonderland. She asks what is the other thing, and I show her the combo tool and tell her it will open cans, bottles, and act as a screwdriver. She studies the combo tool and askes if it will open a beer bottle. I tell her it will, and again she remarks "That would be so cool at a party."
Some other customers came in, and I got my bagel and coffee cup and moved out of the way. The girl, named Kate, by her artisicly lettered nametag thanks me for showing her my sak. It was a strange incident, but it left me with hope for the next generation of sheeple coming along. I go over to the coffee urns and get some dark roast, and I'm putting the lid on and Kate comes over and wipes down the counter with a towel, and I reach into my pocket and I tell her to take care of the bantam. She's a little stunned, and asks if I'm really giving it to her. I tell her I can get another for 10 bucks, no sweat, just be careful with it.
She tells me not to go anywhere, and she runs in back, and comes out a minute later with two 5 dollar bills she must have got out of her purse.
"I can't let you do that, you don't even know me." she tells me.
The next wave of customers are coming in, and she gives me a hug that made me wish I was 50 years younger, and she sticks the sak in the pocket of her very snug tan jeans, and runs back behind the counter to help the other girl.
I think another convert has been brought into the fold, and I can get another bantam easy enough.
But I do wish I was 50 years younger.
I stopped in to get a bagel and a coffee to go. It was after the lunch rush, so I was the only one at the counter at that time. Some people dining, most of the counter help was cleaning up. One young, very strikingly pretty girl, asked if she could help me.
I told her I wanted an everything bagel and creamcheese and a large coffee, don't toast or slice the bagel. I'm particular, and I hate it when they drop the bagel through those automatic slicers and the top 1/4 inch gets sliced off, leaving the rest of the bagel. I'm strange that way, I like my bagel sliced in the middle. The young girl, about 18 or 19 years old asks me how I'm going to get the cream cheese on the bagel. I tell her I'll just cut it with my Swiss Army knife.
She looks at me with big blue eyes and asks in amazement, "You can do that?"
I look at her carefully to see if she's serious, and she seems to be. The idea of using a knife to slice a bagel is apparently an alien idea. I take out my sak bantam, and she looks at it like its some strange object, then hands me an everything bagel and asks me to show her how I do it. I take the bagel and push the blade strait in till it gets to the hole, and I slice around the hole till I have two halves. She stares at the cut bagel in amazement.
"That's so totally cool." she says. Again I look carefully, but she's serious as a broken leg, and the light bulb going on over her head is almost visible. I realize that nobody has ever showed her how to use a knife on a bagel. She askes to see my sak, and I hand it to her and she examines it carefully. Then I'm stunned by her next question.
" Where can I get one of these?"
Here I am in a Panera Bread store, and a teenage girl is impressed by a sak, and wants to get one for her purse. I feel a little like I fell down the rabbit hole and am in some strange wonderland. She asks what is the other thing, and I show her the combo tool and tell her it will open cans, bottles, and act as a screwdriver. She studies the combo tool and askes if it will open a beer bottle. I tell her it will, and again she remarks "That would be so cool at a party."
Some other customers came in, and I got my bagel and coffee cup and moved out of the way. The girl, named Kate, by her artisicly lettered nametag thanks me for showing her my sak. It was a strange incident, but it left me with hope for the next generation of sheeple coming along. I go over to the coffee urns and get some dark roast, and I'm putting the lid on and Kate comes over and wipes down the counter with a towel, and I reach into my pocket and I tell her to take care of the bantam. She's a little stunned, and asks if I'm really giving it to her. I tell her I can get another for 10 bucks, no sweat, just be careful with it.
She tells me not to go anywhere, and she runs in back, and comes out a minute later with two 5 dollar bills she must have got out of her purse.
"I can't let you do that, you don't even know me." she tells me.
The next wave of customers are coming in, and she gives me a hug that made me wish I was 50 years younger, and she sticks the sak in the pocket of her very snug tan jeans, and runs back behind the counter to help the other girl.
I think another convert has been brought into the fold, and I can get another bantam easy enough.
But I do wish I was 50 years younger.
