Personal Expressions

People watching.

Watching people giving in to their personal expressions.

Everyone does it. Admit it. You're at your local mall sitting on one of the benches provided for just that, sitting.

Before you know it, you have sat there long enough while waiting on your spousal unit to finish her 'shopping' from her list of stores and you realize that you have seen that person that just walked by somewhere before.

Then you realize you have just seen what may have been the not so elusive, sensible shoe wearing, fast paced mall walker AND you have been at the mall way longer than you expected.

Your mind begins to wander back to what you would really be doing if you could.

Me? It would include a man-made reservoir and my bass boat.

However, the recent problem with my shoulder has me sidelined from the 'obsession' (as my wife calls it) and I find myself people watching and wondering if it was a conscious decision they made regarding what they are wearing.

I found out yesterday that the injury to my shoulder will require 4 weeks of physical therapy and THEN we will see what the next step will include. Fortunate for me, my rotator cuff was not torn but along with my bicep tendon, both are just scared....I mean they are frayed.

Now I am 'fraid' that I may be spending more time people watching.

If you think that touch of humor was kinda lame, just imagine the thoughts about the shoulder joint that includes a humerus bone. (that spelling probably ain't right but then this is my blog..)

Getting back to the people watching, I saw young divas that will someday be some young mans heart-throb but will most likely send them running for their lives if the t-shirt really defines them..."It's All About ME, Me Me Me.."

Oh, and the twenty-ish guy dressed in all black with a neon lime green tie. Only saw him twice. Maybe he and the young diva will find each other...

Being here in southeast Texas, you would think cowboy boots would be the fashion. I saw one memorable pair on a young lady in shorts. She seemed to be walking just fine also.

Hair color could be the main subject of another article, but will mention two individuals that won my memory award.

One was what I think is normally dark in color but certain portions of the facial hair was bleached the same as certain portions of the hair on their head...didn't quite understand what he was expressing. (saw this one only one time and the next one at least twice)

The runner up candidate was a stab at a Mohawk cut, wider on top above the ears and proceeded to a point above the forehead. The color was as I recall, a greenish purple chartreuse. This color might do pretty good as a deep diving crank bait on Toledo Bend lake....

What is it with the wearing the shorts so low on ones person?

Slabbing is what my son told me ...at least I think that's what they call it.

Long tailed shirts, to allow the secrecy of the brand of underwear they opted for. Shorts worn well below the standard waistline area which leaves about 6-8 inches of the shin showing. Because the new stylin-sneakers and socks take up the space from the floor to the same shin I just mentioned...

My son and I nicknamed a pair of guys dressed just this way...'Shins'. Think we saw them at least 4 times.

Mall walkers come in all shapes, sizes, and ages. Not to mention that when there is a pair of mall walkers, one is always the ALPHA walker. They pick the pace and the path when it comes to a crowd to get through or around.

I ran into a neighbor of ours last week who happens to be a local police officer and was working security for the mall. In our conversation, I asked him how long he had been doing the mall thing and his reply took me by surprise. Every Saturday for fourteen years.

I realized then that I really didn't get to the mall much. Especially on Saturdays.

So as I sit there doing my people watching, I find a familiar face in the crowd heading right to me. If you look really close, you can probably see a smile on my wife's face that is there only because she knows I am with her and not at the lake or on the river enjoying the great outdoors. That is worth everything to me at that moment.

Let me tell you a secret...I love that little woman more today than back in 1980 when I asked her to marry me. She even let me pick the date for our wedding. So I picked January 17, 1981.

You ask why January 17th? A couple of reasons. Seventeen is my lucky number, July 17 is her birthday, and deer season was over.

have yourself a great weekend...and thanks for stopping by.

jake