By Debbie Irmen, Deb’s delusions

A recent experience while traveling caught me off-guard and got me to thinking about how we all could learn to be more inviting through our businesses.

I drove southeast to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, via I-35 and the Avenue of the Saints. I had gotten up early for the three-hour drive and was pleasantly surprised &045; it was an easy and quick (I even followed the speed limit) drive.

Driving in the early morning hours before everyone else is up and heading to work is perhaps my favorite time of the day. It’s a peaceful time of the day and it’s easy to stop and smell the roses, so to speak.

It’s the time of the day when the birds seem to be the most talkative and I enjoy hearing their chatter. Arguably cute depending on if they are eating your garden sprouts. Bunnies also seem most playful at this time of the day.

The serenity puts me in a contented mood and starts the off in the most perfect way.

The feeling of early mornings often carries me long into the day and the obvious benefactors of this mood are the people I work with day-in and day-out.

I digress. The drive south was pleasant and as I was ahead of schedule &045; and feeling hungry &045; I pulled off the the divided highway in Waterloo, Iowa, to get a quick bite to eat.

Given my history for getting lost, I’m always careful in unfamiliar territory &045; if I can’t see a restaurant from the interstate, I don’t pull off. When the eating establishment is acceptably close to the road, I pay close attention to how to get back on the highway so I can find my way back. (My mom keeps telling me to put out bread crumbs so when &045; not if I might add &045; I can’t find my way, I can just follow the bread crumbs.

I argue there are several problems with this system, but she insists. I just pay attention.

So I pulled into a McDonald’s planning to purchase a couple of the yogurt parfaits and a water &045; I simply couldn’t drink anymore coffee and placed my order.

The food server turned away to put together my order and plunked my credit card on the counter to pay for the $2.14 meal.

When she returned to collect my payment and hand over

breakfast, she informed me &uot;we only take cash.&uot;

I thought &uot;OK,&uot; and pulled out me checkbook. Cash and check are nearly synonymous in my world, but not in this food server’s.

She asked if I had any cash and I sheepishly admitted I hadn’t stopped at an ATM yet. I know &045; one should always travel with cash, but I just didn’t expect not having a pile of green to be such a problem.

The next thing she said floored me: &uot;Here, I’ll just give it to you on the house.&uot;

I wasn’t sure I had heard her correctly, but she repeated it.

I’ve never heard of such a thing and was shocked into driving further into unfamiliar territory in search of a money machine.

I went back with money in hand and thanked her for her kindness to a traveler. Though I was enjoying the day, she made it even better.

(Debbie Irmen is the Tribune’s managing editor. Her column runs on each Sunday.)