“Hey.” The voice at the other end did not sound like the girl with the migraine I’d been emailing with earlier.
“Hi, how are you feeling?”
“I would love to meet you on the corner and see what flavors they have at TCBY! Thanks for asking!”
I laughed. I do have the best ideas.
Five minutes later, I met my perky, much-improved neighbor in front of the Duane Reade. I was decked out in workout clothes, and we were headed for dessert. I appreciated the irony.
“This is some sort of Jerry Springer moment,” I said. “Here I am, walking down the street with my tummy poking out, eating. Unsightly.”
“Nah. Not trailer park enough for Jerry Springer. Maybe The View? Nah, they’re old and dowdy. Who’s young and hot? Craig Kilborn? Maybe you’re having a Craig Kilborn moment.”
“Not only have you missed my point entirely, you’ve confused me. Which is excellent.”
We talked nonsense all the way to the park, where we sat on a bench facing the river and dished, until the sounds coming from a few benches down became more interesting that our conversation.
“I thought at first someone was dying,” Ari said. “But I think it’s just really bad singing.”
We decided to investigate. Sure enough, it was singing. A disheveled blonde woman, reclining with her feet on one of the benches, was butchering a Sarah McLachlan song. “I’ve fallen, I have sunk so low…” completely oblivious to gawking passers-by.
“What do you think?” I asked. “Drunk? High? Just plain crazy?”
“Crazy.”
“Mmm. I agree. Wonder what did it.”
“She’s probably dating.”
I laughed one of those deep-from-the-belly laughs. Because it was probably true.
Posted by This Fish at June 4, 2004 09:18 AMHaahaa... things best left unsaid {sentences best left unfinished}.
The park and our chat was just what I needed :)
Posted by: Ari at June 4, 2004 09:46 AMOh sure. Right. Woman goes crazy, man gets blamed. This may be a complete surprise to many women, but men were not just created to drive women insane or force them to exhibit their madness on a park bench. We were put on Earth to ... to ... to ... do stuff and ... create ... lots of really useful ... things. I mean, did you ever meet a woman who invented hazardous waste sites or nuclear weapons or color television or the National Rifle Association or the Republican Party? Damn right you didn't. Nor will you, given the nature of the male brain, which is ... unique, you know, to men. And shit.
Posted by: Michael at June 4, 2004 09:54 AMAh, Michael...your ramblings are soooo...uhh....insightful.
Posted by: Beth at June 4, 2004 09:57 AMA. I think we all could use a few more oblivious singing moments of our own -- just getting lost in spite of curious passers-by and the world pressing in around us.
B. Belly laughs! What I wouldn't give for a good one of those!
C. Michael... yeah, sure, whatever. The good news is that you guys do provide a certain measure of wonderful things too. Like that feeling of flight that makes me think I can conquer the world with just one wink. Always a good one.
Posted by: Lauren at June 4, 2004 11:30 AM"...but men were not just created to drive women insane or force them to exhibit their madness on a park bench"
Speak for yourself!
Posted by: NEIN at June 4, 2004 05:26 PMHey! That was me in the park! I sing Sarah on the weekends in the park for spare change...Why didn't you guys say hello and bring me some white chocolate mousse TCBY?
that is funny... dating and bad singing do sound make you sound like that some times... heeee, love the post...
Posted by: maizzy at June 6, 2004 10:39 AM