A Southern Night Watchman

The first thing I noticed about him was the diamond stud in his left ear. I honestly can’t remember the last time I saw a grown man wearing just one earring—and certainly not a tasteful one. Around our part of the world, the younger fellows favor those black, mini tire-sized plugs that will leave permanent ¾-inch tunnels in their ears, long after trends and good sense have moved on. I feel my age every time I see them and think that thought, which I assume is a Boomer requirement.

So this single, classy diamond stopped me in my tracks. That, and the rest of him—far too polished for this particular establishment. And then he started talking.

Now, I’m well acquainted with Southern accents, but this was Mississippi, y’all. His words rolled out smooth, professional, friendly, and dangerously charming—like verbal bourbon, aged just right. From across the counter drifted the faintest hint of what was clearly expensive cologne. I’m telling you, this man was a Southern-fried version of Tom Hiddleston’s Night Watchman, complete with impeccable timing and eye contact that made you feel briefly more interesting than you actually are.

We chatted through the check-in process in that slow, gracious Southern rhythm that seems to be fading fast back home in North Carolina. When he learned we were road-tripping our way to Vegas, his eyes widened. We explained dutifully that we were visiting our son, but he wasn’t buying it—not for a second. There was a definite twinkle in his eye as he warned us not to “lose all y’all’s money,” like a man who had seen some things… and probably enjoyed watching.

Eventually, keys were handed over and we headed for the elevator—tired, travel-worn, and oddly content. Welcomed, even. And that feeling stuck with me, because we never quite had another encounter like that on the rest of the trip… or any since.

Which is a shame, really. Because every now and then, a diamond-studded stranger with a velvet Mississippi drawl reminds you that Southern hospitality isn’t dead—it just shows up when you least expect it, checks you in, and sends you on your way smiling.