Friday, December 29, 2006

Right as I sat down to write this entry, I burned my tongue on some Caramel Apple Cider..what the hell kind of omen is that?

Anyway, I don't understand the concept of going to watch someone lie in state. Yesterday thousands of people went to see James Brown lie in state at the Apollo Theatre, and sometime in the next few days even more people will gather in Washington D.C. to see Gerald Ford lie in a casket. I frankly find the whole thing to be creepy. That's no knock on either one of these great men, because what they did during their time on this earth, is legendary. Not only that, there is a certain amount of respect that is attached with the tradition of lying in state. I just don't like it. When my grandmother passed a couple of years ago, there was a viewing of the body, and the whole thing made me uncomfortable. For one, I remember my grandmother as a vibrant woman who cooked, went to church and was full of energy. But I rarely saw her still, so to see her dead body sitting there wasn't doing jack for me..my father either for that matter. Plus, during the funeral, I kept thinking when someone she didn't really care for walked by the body, she would jump up, grab them, and thrash them to the ground like a wrestler, and then calmly get back in the casket. To remove the threat of such an atrocity, I think closed caskets, and no body viewings are the way to go..

Since I've been at this job in March, I've seen this one homeless man mostly every day around my building. He looks like he could be in his 50s, he rocks the George Jefferson haircut, he walks with a slight limp, and it looks like he has some type of mental illness. I actually wrote about him way back in July in this blog (damn I've been writing since July?). So anyway, yesterday, as I was waiting on the train to go home, I noticed that he too was about to get on a crowded train car, and I was intrigued. The train he was getting on was WAY too crowded for me, so I vowed to take the next one. But this dude was undeterred by the crowd, and he just got on, holding the three bags I always see him with on the street. At that point, I wanted to run up to him with pen and pad in hand, and just break into a quick impromptu interview. I wanted to know where he was going, why did he choose now to get on the train, and is this something he'd been planning for awhile. Was he worried about losing his spot at the location he had chosen to abandon. The whole thing was fascinating to me, and it would have given me a little insight on the life of a homeless person.

Speaking of the homeless, yesterday, as soon as I left work, I realized that I had to urinate like nobody's business(what does that expression really mean?). I was too lazy to go back in my building, so I decided to just hold it for 15 minutes until I got home. As I crossed the street, I noticed a homeless man holding out his cup, and I just ignored him and kept it moving. 5 steps after I passed him, I passed his area where his belongings were. 2 steps after the passing of the belongings, I must have passed the place where he urinated, because the smell, jumped down my nostrils and threatened to take me down like I was Gerald Ford. 10 steps after that, I immediately got jealous of this man. Here I was holding in my urine until I got home, and this homeless gentleman had the power to just say f*&k it, and piss on the mean streets of DC, and then hold a cup(that he could have peed in I might add)out and ask for money. Gotta respect that.

This blog entry is odd. Something must be in the air...I can feel it..coming in the air tonight

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Maybe I'll be considered mean but I can careless that JB died. I mean its not like it was tragic...he was 73 for Christ sake! I see death as a blessing its only us that remain who cant seem to move on.....

One day you should stop and talk...interview the homeless guy I bet you'll be amazed at what he tells you. Somehow I think it'll make your day....

yeah something must be in the air because I just had deja vu while typing this....

Jo said...

Honey, I agree with you. As much as I love my grandmothers, viewing them POST DEATH was not happenin' for me. I am totally for cremations. No one ever looks the same after death. They either look way too good or way too bad.

STOP stalking the homeless man! Let him do him. I swear . . . He can ride the train whenever he damn well please without you interrogating him. How would you like it if someone came up to you and started asking you about your business? Gosh, we homeless can be so insensitive sometimes. ;o)

As for the pee in the cup . . .this ain't CARWASH . . . and I thought you were gonna say you were too tired to go into the building so you just peed on the side of it instead. LOL! I was disappointed to find out it was not you, but the homeless man who had the guts to deface the building. Oh well, sometimes you don't cease to amaze me.

Anonymous said...

in total agreement on the death viewing thing. this is the one that gets me, "she really did look good didn't she". HUH?!? funny thing is after my grandma died, i believe i said that mess. one of my cousins also took digital photos of granny. wonder what poor soul those were shared with...