It was supposed to be a normal ride.
Airport runs usually are – quiet, maybe a little small talk, a quick scroll through emails before boarding. But this one? This one turned into something I didn’t expect… a full-on, heart-filled conversation about tater tots.
Yes. Tater tots.
My driver… let’s call him The Tater Tot Guy—lit up the moment the topic came up. He brought it up as soon as we turned onto the street to head through downtown Billings. And I mean lit up. The kind of joy you can’t fake. The kind that bubbles up and spills over whether you want it to or not.
He didn’t just like tater tots.
He had a vision for them.
Not Just Tots… Transformations
To him, tater tots weren’t a side dish. They were a blank canvas.
He started listing them off like an artist describing his favorite mediums:
- Grandmama’s gravy tots – crispy tots smothered in rich, homemade gravy that tasted like Sunday afternoons and family stories
- Chili tots – piled high, hearty, messy in the best way
- Salsa verde tots – bright, zesty, unexpected
- Churro tots – sweet, cinnamon-dusted, proof that tots don’t have to stay in their lane
I sat there, halfway between laughing and completely captivated.
Because here’s the thing—he wasn’t just talking about food.
He was talking about possibility.
About how something ordinary – something overlooked, something most of us wouldn’t think twice about – could be turned into something creative, something meaningful, something… his.
The Way He Talked About It
There was no hesitation. No second-guessing. No “this might sound silly.”
He shared his ideas with the confidence of someone who had already decided they mattered.
And maybe that’s what struck me most.
He wasn’t waiting for permission.
He wasn’t waiting for a perfect moment or a perfect audience.
He was just… sharing.
With a complete stranger.
On a ride to the airport.
And It Made Me Wonder…
What is that thing for you?
What is it you could talk about endlessly—without notes, without prep, without overthinking?
What lights you up so much that it spills out of you, even in the most ordinary moments?
Because I don’t think that’s random.
I don’t think it’s accidental.
I think those little sparks—the ideas, the passions, the things we can’t stop thinking about – are placed in us on purpose.
Like quiet nudges.
Like gifts.
Plain Tots, Elevated
The more he talked, the more I realized…
He wasn’t just making food.
He was taking something simple, something most people would overlook, and elevating it.
And isn’t that what we’re all invited to do?
Take what we’ve been given—our ideas, our talents, our quirks, even the things that feel small—and do something with them.
Not because they’re impressive.
But because they’re ours.
So… What’s Yours?
Maybe it’s not tater tots.
Maybe it’s design. Or writing. Or hosting people. Or organizing chaos. Or helping others feel seen. Or building something from nothing.
Maybe it’s something you’ve brushed off as “not a big deal.”
But what if it is?
What if the thing you can’t stop thinking about…
The thing you naturally share…
The thing that makes you come alive…
Is actually the thing you’re meant to grow?
A Ride I Didn’t Expect
I never got his name.
But I’ll remember him.
Because somewhere between the airport pickup and the drop-off, he reminded me of something simple and important:
Joy doesn’t wait for the perfect platform.
Passion doesn’t wait for permission.
And sometimes, the most meaningful reminders come from the most unexpected places…
Like a man in Montana, dreaming up the next great version of a tater tot.
So I’ll ask you the same question I left that car with:
What’s your version of the tater tot?
What is it that you love so much… you’d share it with a stranger?
Because whatever it is—
It’s worth something.
And it’s worth using.
Here’s to “Tator Tot Guy” and to whatever dream that is filling you up with pure joy!
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