Clothes Call

Standing in line getting coffee at the in-store Dunkin Donuts in the Norwich Stop and Shop, four people in front of me, on Sunday, at least two of them dressed as if coming from church. That always guilts me out as a FARC, fallen away roman catholic, so I compensate by imagining one of them having a berry smoothie and a breakfast sandwich to chase Holy Communion. Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned....America runs on Penance.

Anyway. All the time in line and it took me a minute or so to pick up on this, but there are two people, a couple--early twenties getting S&S doughnuts from over at the bakery. They may be talking to one another--I can't tell from the distance I'm at. I can tell the diving for doughnuts portion of the program is taking forever....I'm talking (without actually putting a watch to it) maybe a minute a decision per doughnut.

The thousand yard stare through the glass doors before one of the two opens them and then almost another minute, not conferring, mind you, before picking a doughnut up. All this in the time it took for the four customers ahead of me to get coffeed and sandwiched--and still these two are diving for doughnuts.

He had on one of those Hollister sort of hockey shirts, at least that's what they look like to me-stick of a guy with unwashed hair and sleep in his eyes. She hadn't been awake much longer and had done that woman's trick with hair when they yet haven't washed it, she had it up with a hair tie. She had no makeup and she didn't really need any but she looked very young without it but he looked like he might still be in high school by comparison.

She wore a grey sweat shirt with NFA Wrestling in red lettering that made me smile. My two children went to NFA, Norwich Free Academy. Pat played soccer and Michelle was in the band and orchestra. I don't remember either of them ever speaking about women on the wrestling team. So the doughnut diva was wearing someone else' s wrestling shirt, and judging by the size of the guns, or lack thereof, on the Hollister dude, it wasn't his shirt.

He kept glancing around and I recognized his look. I took to calling it the "Walk the Line" look, because I think that's what Johnny Cash had in mind when he wrote the song. And I knew it because I've had the look myself for 31 plus years. You find a someone who chooses to be with you (that's why the shirt doesn't matter my Hollister friend; the original wearer is gone) and you remain vigilant because it's so difficult to believe this person will stay. For what it's worth, it's how you live everyday and come to appreciate that someone more and more.
-bill kenny