STREET LIFE

PERFECT MOTHER

When the skies were clearing last Sunday afternoon there were few folks out. Walking downtown I noticed a homeless man checking every parking machine for change. 

I found a quarter once.

Across the street an attractive woman in her late thirties carried something strange and pink, an inflatable sex doll.  Twenty-feet in front of her was a ten-year-old boy.  He kept looking back with a giggling smile.

I like to take pictures of unusual things but had no camera (hence the sketch above).   After half a block the woman and the boy crossed the street and I could see we were about to meet.  

How could I ignore the obvious?  What could I say?

She was now six feet behind me with the boy, seemingly embarrassed, running ahead .  I turned, smiled and said, "So, you won the door prize!".  

"I feel so stupid but it's for my son", she explained as she glanced at him ahead, "He made me do it".

A moment later they stopped at their Lexus.  I assume the three of them drove away.  I couldn't bear to look any longer.

BAD PARKING

Grove cops sometimes park their police cars in the middle of Main Highway, the Grove's busiest street.  Usually there is an officer inside doing who knows what.  Yesterday I saw two cars doing this in early morning traffic, side-by-side.   I wanted to ask them to move their cars but have almost been arrested for doing less.

When cops started parking in the road a couple of years ago I reported the problem to City Hall.  I was told it was not a problem. A city official told me, "We do this regularly so as to create a presence".

I wish they had the presence of mind to get the hell out of the road.

IN LOVE WITH MY PHONE

James Taylor came to the Hollywood, Florida, Obama campaign office last week to thank the local volunteers.   He brought his guitar and sang a few songs as well.  My cameraman friend, AJ Nichols was there, shot a great video, and he put it on YouTube.

Watching it is a remarkable, intimate,  37-minute experience....I guess, if you're over fifty and are rooting for The President.

Most of the people standing around Taylor  were campaign workers in their 20's.  Despite being just four-feet from one of the superstars of my generation many were transfixed on their cell phones.  Most were texting as Taylor sang "You've Got a Friend", "Carolina on my Mind,  and "Sweet Baby James".

What did they write, "An old man is singing next to me" in 500 words?

Maybe they never heard of JT.    Perhaps it'd be like me, in my 20's,  being face-to-face with Sinatra (If I had, geez, I'd have least had the courtesy to listened to the guy).  

I try to understand, I try to be positive.

At least they weren't sleeping. 

If you'd like to see Taylor's performance, google "James Taylor visits Hollywood FL Obama Campaign".   If you want to feel young again watch it with a smart phone in hand.