Traveling around by foot or by bus is so(ooo!!!) much more interesting than by car. I’ve known this for a long time, and I’ve already written one post about meeting an interesting neighbor, but this truth was confirmed yet again today. Since my wife is flying in to the Lehigh Valley International Airport this week, I decided to take a bus out there to see if it was possible to bus it between the airport and the city (it is!). As the bus was leaving the airport, something out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. I knew instantly what it was, but I didn’t believe it. It’s not every day that you see it (hopefully), and, in fact, it may be a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. Despite its scarcity, we humans intuitively know what it is before we even get a good look at it, and then we proceed to talk ourselves out of it until we, indeed, see that it is exactly what we had feared it would be. As the object came into clear view, my fears were confirmed as the bus driver mumbled, “Holy…”: a middle-aged, overweight, hairy naked man. He was just walking toward the terminal as if he wasn't aware that everyone could see his “cargo.” The Asian couple in the back of the bus that had just flown in was laughing hysterically. The bus driver remarked, “I need a new job.” I couldn’t help but smile as I shook my head in wonder.
The funny thing about seeing a naked person in public is that, as much as you wish you hadn’t seen what you saw, you (well, I guess I should speak for myself here) inevitably wish you had brought a camera to capture the ridiculousness of the moment. Maybe the camera would have captured the look on his face (for those of you who are curious, you don’t really get a good look at the facial expressions of an unexpectedly nude person). What could he have possibly been thinking? Was he enjoying his freedom from the societal norm of wearing clothing when others are present? Was he nervous? When someone is that brave (or stupid) to do something that you would never do, it makes you curious as to who this person is and what made him that way. Why is he so different from me? It was then that I realized how he was choosing to get around Bethlehem: by foot! Perhaps he and I would be kindred spirits if we ever had a chance to get to know each other, but I don’t think I could get too comfortable with him. After all, if he’s that calm about showing his junk in public, one can only imagine what he would be like with his friends.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
All I have to say is, "Wow"! Now, keep in mind that I'm saying this as an adult...in sound mind. In my youth, however, there were many, many (and I won't keep going with exactly how many) times where I found myself in that gentleman's shoes. Oh, wait, was he even wearing shoes? Well, you know what I mean. I think we should all keep an open mind with social situations, such as this. I would like to point out that the governments C.A.R.S. program is still running. Maybe, just maybe, this guy was planning to trade in his "junk' for a new car. I don't know? I think that we, as a culture, should stop being so quick to judge a person simply by the color of his "skin". Ha! Love the blog, Ryan. Keep 'em coming, bro.
And you people talk about the people you see in Payson! Ha!!! Ryan your eyes are getting bigger and bigger living in that area!! Can you just imagine if it had been Maddy instead of you????!!!!OMG!!! Hee hee! Such culture you are surrounded by!!! Well, it takes all kinds, you know, and it looks like you hit the jackpot with Lehigh!!!
Post a Comment