You NEED the Melon

Taken from one of my favorite books ever, Running with the Buffaloes. Somehow inspires me to reach out to others for no reason other than to see them smile.

University of Colorado
Wednesday, August 26, 1998
Spanish Class
9:10 am

Ronald Roybal excuses himself to his Spanish Literature professor as he arrives with two huéspedes, or guests, in tow, ten minutes late. The class appears to engage Roybal, a spanish major, and only Roybal. No other student answers the professor's queries. Actually, most appear only semi-conscious. Despite his tardiness, in the professor's eyes Roybal is batting a thousand.
After class, Roybal and his buddy Pedro set off across campus on a beautiful 70-degree morning. "I think it's time," says Roybal. He pulls a knife and a beautiful ripe cantaloupe out of his knapsack. He proceeds to offer melon to any and all strangers passing by whom, in his estimation, "need the melon." "Oh, you see her," he says, pointing to an attractive,petite blond, "she needs the melon. That guy, he needs the melon." Rejected once, Roybal will always ask, "Are you sure?"
Some will reconsider and take the melon. Others will try to rationalize it, but to no avail. There is no explanation for Roybal's actions other than his desire to see people smile. No doubt, it is odd. "But one time," he says, voice rising in excitement, "me and Pedro were on Pearl Street and this one guy came around like three times, and his eyes widened, and he was so excited 'cause we kept giving him the melon. It was awesome!"
Today maybe every third person takes the melon, a less successful rate than his trip down to Pearl Street. Roybal appears unconcerned and is grinning from ear to ear. "We had honeydew then," he says. Of course.