Meeting men.... in Secrets from myself
- Dec. 5, 2013, 3:45 a.m.
- |
- Public
I met two interesting men today.
Both were in college town. The first one and I were walking down the downtown street together. We discussed weather and dogs. Pleasant conversation. He was younger and kind of stocky and had some facial hair and a wide brimmed hat. He went in the toy store and I went on and ordered a pizza.
The second man was in the thrift store book room. He was dressed amazingly. He was wearing a red felt brimless hat, not a fez or a beret, more like something from Afghanistan. He was also wearing red print fleece pants, sort of like pajama bottoms. His jacket was tan and less eye catching.
He quoted from Jane Eyre to me. A lovely quote I have not been able to find, about death, and life after, or not life after. He quoted a whole bunch of it and it made me shiver. Either the content of the quote or the fact that he was taking the trouble to quote it to me.
He was four years younger than I am - he told me what year he graduated from high school. He said WWII was the most important thing that happened..... meaning its effect on people like him and me. He shook my hand and introduced himself. I told him who I was. And then I got loud. And he disappeared.
Still it was worth it.
I sometimes wonder how people meet each other. I have been a widow for over ten years and maybe this man with his red fez was as close as I've come to a kindred spirit. And then I spoiled it by telling him who I am and talking loud.
Florentine ⋅ December 05, 2013
Any man who can quote Jane Eyre is a diamond in the rough. Unfortunately, if he was spooked by a little loudness, his edges aren't quite polished enough.
Here's to hoping you see/hear from him again.
Gangleri ⋅ December 05, 2013
I always find it interesting when people tell other people what the most important event in their own life is.
woman in the moon Gangleri ⋅ December 05, 2013
Of course WWII was over when before we were born but still it is such a massive undertaking, such a huge EVENT, such vast death and suffering, so much more than anything that came after it. I thought the Vietnam war would be the event of my life and in lots of ways it and the 60s and 70s were the time when the most important things happened, but they don't add up to the vastness of WWII. They were more personal -
Anyway - do you ever look at humansofnewyork.com? He asks important questions and gets important answers sometimes.
Gangleri woman in the moon ⋅ December 06, 2013
I just meant that it was him telling you "the most important event in your life is this" and it sounding kinda like preaching, not a discussion. To get fauxlosophical, I'd say the most important event in your life was Now.
I've never been there, but the name sounds disturbingly close to People of Walmart, and that scares me. ;)
NorthernSeeker ⋅ December 05, 2013
I think it was only polite of you to tell him your name after he introduced himself. You'll probably run into him again.
You deserve to meet someone who can quote the classics.
woman in the moon NorthernSeeker ⋅ December 05, 2013
I always think I'm famous in some way that leans more to infamous. Once when I was first writing the the papers, someone similar from that same town said I a household syllable. I took that to mean I was widely known but not well known.
Beret ⋅ December 05, 2013
Maybe you should visit the bookstore again. And again. He sounds like your kindred spirit but only time would tell. Maybe it wasn't you being loud. Maybe he is shy.
Deleted user ⋅ December 06, 2013
Book man sounds like an interesting character. Did you learn where he was from?
woman in the moon Deleted user ⋅ December 06, 2013
I think he's local - to the town next door. It's funny - he told me three names - his own, and two people from my town that he knew. The only name I remembered was one of the people from my town. To be fair to me, the name I remembered was an unusual name and a familiar one to me.
M ⋅ December 06, 2013
I loved that story.