Motorists that travel Highway 80 to and from Minden early in the morning will see a smile and a wave.
He stands at the end of Deerfield Boulevard early in the morning to greet them as they head off to work and drop the children off at school. Benny Moore, 63, said it is a blessing, and it’s just a great way to start off the day.
“It takes more energy to frown than it does to smile,” he said as he continued to wave at motorists passing by. “It’s just such a blessing. You never know what kind of mood people are in, and you never know what people are going through. Just a smile or a wave can mean so much to change people’s outlook and what they’re thinking.”
He said many people stop to tell him he makes their day, and if they don’t see him for a few days, they worry.
“A lot of people will stop and say they look forward to seeing me,” he said. “I think God gives people a beautiful smile, and I think they ought to use it, and use it from the heart.”
Moore, a semi-retired logger, said he loves Minden. Originally from Ringgold, he moved to Minden in 2000 following a rough patch in his life, but wanted to stay close to his mother, after he lost his father in 2014.
He is the father of seven children and the grandfather of seven grandchildren, who are the light of his life, he said.
Moore also likes to grill, cook and give away the food he feels he is so richly blessed with.
“I don’t really have a hobby,” he said. “I’m kind of a homebody and just work around the house and go to church. I like to barbecue ribs, chicken, stuff like that. I have a lot of people that want me to smoke meat for them, and I cook and give it away to people.”
Moore plans to barbecue before Thanksgiving, he said, serving up smoked brisket, link sausage, chicken and barbecued ribs to friends.
“The Bible says, it’s more of a blessing to give than to receive, and I’m a firm believer in that,” he said.