Pearls&Grit

Observation #1: The swagger of the friend in the red t-shirt, shiny blue beer in hand, loafing up and down continually talking to everybody about anything. He is the first to arrive at the campground in that group and takes on the role of directing everyone to where they should park. Probably referred to as the “annoying friend.” He is just too cool for school. Nonchalantly tossing his air filter as he once again, goes up and down, back and forth, swaggering away.

Observation #2: One man pulls in, dark gray F250. Its put together really well. Exhaust, wheels, fender flares, the works. The man gets out and I am flabbergasted at how very short he is. The way his track pants bunch around his calves and ankles, and his choppy, short-stride makes me wonder if perhaps he has a prosthetic leg. 

Imagine my surprise this morning when he appears, vigorously brushing his teeth in a pair of basketball shorts…two normal legs. 

Observation #3: He had a growth on his ear. A bubbly, protruding sphere on the top of his ear. He knew people stared at it. You could see the way he looked calmly back at them. 

Observation #4: “Do you want more?” An unkempt middle-aged man standing next to the rows of cheese at the grocery store. He asks a blonde woman, dressed in blue scrubs, three kids hanging off her overflowing cart. He gestures to the kids. The look on her face starts as a smile, but fades into alarm as she recognizes the hidden subtext of his comment. My stomach turns for her. 

Observation #5: Her pug is so hot. So fat. So old. Yet she drags him around at the end of the little blue harness that can barely buckle around his middle. She stops to talk and the black pug has no qualms attempting to climb into my camper. He has no allegiance. He just wants to stop. But she’s oblivious. I make a joke about it. She still doesn’t get it. Off they go.