Today I saw a man in front of the library. He walked up to the large public ashtray and pulled open the top to inspect the bin below. There, he poked and prodded and found a suitable butt for smoking. He took four drags once he lit it and then threw it to the ground before entering the library.
Today I saw a man holding the hand of another man on the subway.
Today I saw a man behind the wheel of a moving truck attempting to navigate into an alley. He didn't quite make the turn and had to reverse a bit in order to do so. The trouble was, he couldn't ge it into gear despite the mocking of his peers who had jumped out to direct. The crowded bus I was on was stuck behind this poor guy as he tried and tried, the grinding of metal announcing each failure. As the vexation of the passengers increased, they began to holler out the windows. Finally, red faced and sweaty, the guy did it. Nobody applauded, though he deserved it.
Today I saw a man in a wheelchair drooling. "Pencils 25 cents" read the sign in his lap.
Today I saw a man wearing the full sissy kit. As he sashayed on the subway quai, all eyes were upon him. (I love my people.)
I love my people too - although more recently I feel like "my people" are the 25 cents for a pencil crowd.
ReplyDeleteI love this entry!
ReplyDeleteJane
I'm jealous.
ReplyDeleteToday I saw dawn.
My "people" just cook al dente and gesture madly with their hands when speaking....lol
ReplyDeletehaha! great post!
ReplyDeleteI think we learn more about ourselves as we observe others.
ReplyDeleteWhen I am in a place with many people, I enjoy observing people and reflecting on what their lives are like beyond the moment that I am observing them.
At various times I find affirmation that I am so much like everyone else and sometimes I find affirmation that I am so unlike everyone else.
Do one about the ladies next!
ReplyDeleteThe man picking up butts? OMG, I almost barfed.
I love reading your blog...that was a such an amazing post.
ReplyDelete:)
Are you near the Berri-UQAM stop? Cause I definitely saw a few couples holding hands around there.
ReplyDeleteMost of these actually made me sad. I am not sure why.
ReplyDeleteHell, if you're gonna stare you might as well say hello. You'd think we've shared enough to warrant pleasantries. I know I look good. Can you believe this French manicure?
ReplyDeletekb
I wish I have a man to held my hand...
ReplyDelete(showing my vanilla) What's a "full sissy kit?"
ReplyDeleteIs it a guy in drag?
I'm so provincial.
And I'm with Pete. I'd like a man to hold my hand. Wow. It's been almost eight years.
Slices of life. Thery're there all the time an somehow it's so easy not to notice, let alone acknowledge.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post.
So everyone watched you sashay? :)
ReplyDeleteall of those people sound so lonely. i'm probably making too much of it, but i got such a strong emotional reaction. gee, surprising coming from me, eh? heh.
ReplyDeletei looked up "quai" because i thought it was code for something cool i didn't understand. of course it wasn't, which even further proved how much of a dork i am.
"The full sissy kit." I love that. Consider this the official request to use that at some later date (with full acknowledgement of course!).
ReplyDeleteLike Patricia, I also got a sense of loneliness from these "snapshots".
Great post. As usual.
Word verification: tfbnvybg. Give me a break -- I can barely spell my name the same twice.
Today I am a small blue thing,
ReplyDeletelike a marble or an eye.
Some days the things you write are like a wonderful little gift. Today is one of those days. I, too, wonder what the full sissy kit means?? Am I too isolated in this small town full of children that I moved to? Sad and wonderful, just like life. Devo
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post, Wordo.
ReplyDelete(btw, my pencils really are good quality #2's. At 25 cents, they're a steel. So next time, gimme a break and hand over a quarter.)
Working hard or hardly working?!
ReplyDeleteSeems like someone is living in the now a bit more.
I can't believe he threw the butt on the ground!
ReplyDeletep.s I love your writing...
You are a writer.
ReplyDeleteOnly writers observe the world like this.