Time Out

You know, when my dad died, I remember pulling a friend into my bedroom and sitting there, holding her hand. We didn't talk or cry or rage. We just sat, holding hands. On 9/11, I finally pulled a trashy romance novel off my bookshelf and went to a restaurant I knew didn't have televisions. When my ex-husband was fighting his cancer, we took a day and went to buy little Christmas decorations for our room at Walter Reed.

The more stressful a time is, the more important time-outs are. It's a pretty fucking stressful time right now, friends. We are a nation at war ~ and are divided over it. We are facing one of, if not the, greatest natural disaster our country has ever known ~ and are divided over it. Our melting pot is beginning to crack from the heat of so many different peoples ~ and we are divided over it.

So here's a time out. These are things, people, events that have brought me amusement over the last few days. Let's take a time out.

* Men in bow ties. There is very little sexier to me than a man comfortable enough in his own skin to wear a bow tie in this day and age. Men who wear fun ties are a close second. Yes, I like the sexy-geek thing. I admit it. And, if you agree they're sexy or not, you gotta smile and admire them.

* Kids in Burger King crowns. Does it get better? You're six, you just got your favorite foods AND you get to wear a crown.

* UPS delivery trucks. I know, they double park, they block the street and they never come at convenient times. But you know what else? They are one of the few things that can make a little quiver in my tummy wondering "ooo...might it be for me? I wonder what it is????"

* Street kids holding their crotches. This is not something you see unless you live in an inner city (at least I've never see it anywhere but in major cities). I have, however, seen it in every major US city I've ever been. These young men walking around with a death grip on their penises. Between the ages of 16 and 21, is there a risk of them falling off that I, as a female, am unaware of?

* Extreme fashion sense. I'm not quite sure how to explain this. I'm not talking about the perfectly coiffed (sp?) man or woman. I'm talking about people with their own styles. People that ignore fashion trends. Or follow them religiously and somehow make them their own anyway. I'm talking about the people that make you think "Damn! S/He's got it going on!"

* Chance encounters. I was on the T (the Boston subway) and there stood a young woman dressed in rebellious city chic. I, on the other hand, was wearing my khaki pants, my blue silk blouse and my navy loafers. I could have been named Muffy. But I remember a time when I dressed just like her. As I read over the buttons all over her bag, I noticed one read "I do not consent to search." HOW COOL! So I mentioned it to her. She looked at me like I had three heads but managed to mumble her thanks. Then she looked at me again. And noticed the Eloise design on my briefcase. And smiled and told me it was really cool. And suddenly Muffy and the Goth Girl had more in common than the casual observer would have expected.

* Running out of toilet paper. I know, this isn't amusing. But when it happens (happened) to me, I have no one to blame but myself. I live alone. It's all my fault. And if you can't find amusement in waddling into the closet, muttering curses under your breath and hoping not to drip, then you need your pulse checked or a really strong dose of Valium.

* Fuzzy slippers and comfy pajamas. Big fan. Big. Huge. The other night, it was just all too much. I changed into my purple pajamas (XXL men's thank you very much) and my fuzzy pink slippers and felt better before the hot cocoa was even off the stove.

There. I hope you enjoyed them. Even more, I hope they triggered a thought, a memory, an experience from your own life that can make you smile. If we can't be united by crises, maybe we all need more time-outs.

Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.