Time Lapse

Today I was driving on Boulder and saw a young man crossing the street in a riding outfit. Had the khaki-colored riding pants, boots to his knees and carrying a helmet/hat. Having recently watched Kate and Leopold my mind began to wander about him being out of place, perhaps lost in time from another era and then, as if on cue, he took off his shirt. I was sure, then, that the more appropriate allusion would be Collin Firth as Mr. Darcy in the BBC Pride and Prejudice. Perhaps this little man was lost and needed help. My light turned green and it didn't seem appropriate to continue to stare, slow down, or stop. I suppose I will never know if he was searching for his hole in the time continuum.

Grapes of Wrath

So, last week .... the last week of my job, by the way...
I come into my office. Things are different - it has been cleaned! My cheap boss was paying his lazy son to clean the office on the weekends, which meant, grime, dirty carpets and dust. I'm afraid it wasn't enough for me to make time to clean my own space....so it was a noticeable difference. My boss had hired someone to come in and clean. It was as I settled in that I became annoyed. This clock was moved, that plant completely relocated, this magazine placed here, that file placed there. She clearly took the liberty to get creative... and then, as I am rummaging around for some paperwork I see that she placed a raisin on a stack of filing. She picked the raisin off the floor and put it on my stack of files. Why? Did she think I needed it? That it would go missing? It was so strange to me. She clearly had her own opinion about appropriate placing of my things but left the raisin. Very Strange.

Window Pain

I was so excited when I moved into my new office. Bigger, built-in shelves and a huge window. I'll be honest - I had visions of scenes from "My Fat Greek Wedding" where the average woman was snatched up by the attractive man who occasionally passed by her window. Perfect - it'll be like the pet shop at the mall. I'll be one of the puppies in the window.
Love has not found me on Kiowa street. Harsh reality has. As of late, it's been transients chilling out on the bench right outside my office. There is one guy in particular. He wears a big winter jacket, even in the hottest of weather. He's in his own world - rolling his own cigarettes...every now and then he'll hop up and start dancing - he's got rhythm. I've tried to connect with him through the glass but he doesn't make eye contact. Too bad, I thought we could create our own gesture jargon and chat through the window.
Today, it has been a bit more tragic. There is a guy who is blind and appears to be mentally unstable. He was here a couple weeks ago. I saw him in the afternoon out there at the bench until I left for the day. I was concerned when I came back the next day to find him still sitting. People walked by and offered him things: drinks, food, money. He refuses help. He became increasingly agitated so I called the police dept, moments later to discover some volunteer EMT recognized him and had called as well. The paramedics came and took him off. I was surprised to see him again, today.
Moments ago a belligerent drunk came and sat next to him and yelled at people as they walked by. It was horribly entertaining and I found myself unable to pull away from the reality show I was watching. What would he say to this guy? How will she respond? Oh, look at the teenagers snicker as they pass. I only wish I had a volume knob.
-jlt