Caleb Kyle

My coworker spent one year in Tennessee. He came back to Tokyo two months ago. He is not the same man. He says "y'all" in meetings. To our boss. He holds the door for the entire floor. Twelve people. Every morning. He asked the convenience store clerk how her day was going. She had to sit down. He calls every man "bud." Including the CEO. He refuses to describe anything under three hours away as "far." He waves at drivers who let him cross. One driver waved back and almost hit a pole. Last week, he told a junior employee, "I'm proud of you." She went to the restroom and cried for ten minutes. We thought it would wear off. It didn't. It's spreading. Three people in accounting now say "y'all." The junior employee holds the door. The convenience store clerk asks HIM how his day is going. Tennessee, I don't know what you did to him. Please do it to the rest of us.