He was tall, broad-shouldered and had dark shaggy hair above puzzled eyes. He moved a little differently than others and spoke a little louder. He brought his own cup – an opalescent punch glass with nubs in rows that reminded me of the shell of an sea urchin. Cookies and cups of coffee were priced at a dollar each and he wasn’t sure that his $3 would cover him.
He got his cookie and coffee, sat near Hailey and I, chatted pleasantly for a few minutes in his sweet way about nothing particular and everything at once, and then he was gone.
The kids I went to grade school with would possibly – no, certainly – have called him “retarded.” (Hell, they called me that.) As he walked away with his magic cup in his bag and his smile (always just hinted at the corners of his mouth), I had to wonder: What’s wrong with moving slower than every one else? He may not get concepts like anger, bitterness or revenge, but – then – he notices every pretty thing in his way and will fall asleep one day not knowing what old is.
SPM
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Let's take them one at a time.
The tree: It may be diseased, it may be a hazard, or it just may be in the way of a magnificent home or building. Trees can be lumber that will live forever in a home, building or a beautiful grand piano.
The Building: It depends on the building. It may be unsafe, a fire hazard, or just plain useless on its land. The land may be worth more or have a better use than the building.
The dog: Some cultures eat dogs. Such a person may be hungry. We eat chickens, cows and other animals and think nothing of it.
Children: Miscarried wanted children are a fact of life, which is imperfect. That same imperfection make unwanted children unwanted.
Death: It happens to all of us.
Knowledge: I don't know either.
Wes
So I'll respond one at a time, lol:
The Tree: I am well aware of the sometime need to cut trees (I'm not hugging one currently, you know). Said tree was cut by a property owner two lots a way who did not like the odd leaves blowing into his yard. Said owner did not own the lot the tree was on, and has trees in his own yard that were not cut down. The tree was not put to any use...
The building: I agree on some buildings needing to come down, *but* in this country buildings are routinely torn down with no regard for reuse of materials or the psychological impact of empty lots in inner city neighborhoods.
There are very few places in my area - none, actually - where it could be said that there is such a pressing need for developement that land must be cleared for progress.
Every community with a thriving downtown district has this in common: They actually *have* said district intact for businesses to move into. The older buildings of these districts are what draw businesses and then trade.
The dog: We do not live in a culture that eats dogs and - coming from a 4-H background, farm animals are seperate from pets, even on the farm, lol.
Children/Death: The child at hand was 13 and killed by an 80-plus-year-old driver. Stating that the world is imperfect is not an excuse for anything, but, rather, a reason to stir toward change...
So, Mister, there you have it;)
Post a Comment