Did you know Opelika has a taco truck?
An actual truck that sells freshly-made, authentic tacos and assorted Mexican food?
It doesn't look like much, this taco truck, with its single naked lightbulb and its inconspicuous darkened tire and auto repair store parking lot location on Opelika Road.
But there's something there, something which separates it from all other Mexican restaurants in Auburn and Opelika.
Maybe it's the food.
The taco truck, Lili's Food officially, offers tacos, tortas, burritos and quesadillas all with a variety of meat, everything from steak to beef tongue to spicy pork.
The tacos are served double-shelled and open with onion and cilantro plus lime and a green spicy sauce.
Maybe it's the speedy service.
The combo waiter/cashier was friendly and helpful.
He spoke English and Spanish and readily explained different menu offerings, even when talking to a clueless gringo.
Maybe it's the price.
Two tacos will cost you $3.
Throw in a Coke or a Sindral Mundet and you're looking at $4.50.
Couple that with the evening hours, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., and you've got a great early late-night eating option in Opelika.
But, most likely, what sets the taco truck apart is the atmosphere.
The zoom of passing cars mixed with the hum of the truck's lone generator.
The dangling light creating a halo which encompasses the scattered plastic table and chairs, adding mystery to the night.
Spectral faces hovering on the edges of the light, almost convincing customers' they're not in Opelika but some sublime South American city full of mischief and night-life possibilities.
At night, with the right light, even the parking lot of AB Tires looks exotic.
Not that a patron is likely to totally get lost in Latin American longing.
Take a step back and you realize you're sitting in the parking lot of a closed mechanic shop across from Clayton Homes and adjacent to a Pizza Hut.
But, still, it's nice to imagine, because it's easy to forget the supposed ancillary people in life--the janitor, the construction worker, the gas station cashier.
Taking that time out to chat with people you're not likely to encounter any other way will remind you how big our world is.
Rote routine robs us all of chances to broaden horizons; consider the other and gain much-needed empathy.
The best way to combat the malaise of everyday existence is to step outside preconceived boundaries.
To every now and again take an unplanned trip to a new location.
To eat at a new restaurant or order a different meal at an old one on whim.
To make daily decisions which snap you into conscious thought.
You live in a large world.
Don't let your mind be small.
Try the taco truck.
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