love perspective 1: max

There is one thing that makes humans so unique: everyone is different.  People have different jobs, different lifestyles, different friends.  But one thing that is consistent is everyone has hobbies and interests.  Some can be considered quirks, some are helpful to society, and some no one else knows about.  But me, I like people.

What do I mean by liking people?  More specifically, I like to watch people.  You know, learn their antics, study their speech and accent, experience their culture. And it’s not just learning about an old irish guy on the street corner yelling at squirrels.  It’s everybody. 

I like to just go down to the park and watch the kids play basketball.  See the housewife take her dog and kid on a walk… both on leashes.  Watch an obvious drug deal go down.  Maybe take a stroll over to the shopping mall and see the old guy sitting outside the dollar store with his wife of 50 years inside.  Watch the 13 year old first discovering what a Hot Topic is or going on a first mall date.

But the one thing is I’m not stalkerish about it.  I will watch people, but I will also introduce myself.  I like to meet all these people.  I don’t care who they are, young or old, black or white, everyone has an interesting story.  And I want to hear it.

Some people tell me I’m extremely outgoing.  It certainly seems that way if you just met me.  But I call it curiosity.  It’s all part of who I am.  I am very curious about everything.  I love learning something new.  It doesn’t matter what it is.

I just don’t have access to learn that much.  I mean my school is pretty lame.  It’s got the lowest test scores in the state, which in turn means they don’t get that much money to buy us books or computers. 

And my house; forget that.  Well actually, I did find a magazine once when I was a kid.  Except I found it in between the mattress before my dad went to prison. You kinda get where this is going.

You can tell how hard it is to actually challenge myself and learn something new around here.  But I think I’d go crazy if I didn’t have this curiosity to learn.  I guess that is why I started to explore and study human traits.  Simply because it is something I have access to learn.  People are everywhere.

And this hobby has made me who I am.  I can act like anyone, from any society, any culture, any class.  I have to because imagine me putting on the last shirt my mom ever bought me and going to the rich suburbs and offering to help an old lady cross the street.  She’d think I would rob her.

Which I hate.  Because I do have to steal.  I have to get clothes, food, school supplies...  If I go to my mom she tells me to just take from my dad’s closet.  Problem is, he is twice my size. 

I do have a code of ethics with this horrible task my life has placed on me.  I will only take what I absolutely need.  And I will only take from large chain stores that have so much turnover they would never notice.  And I won’t go to the same place twice.  I’ve had one too many close encounters. 

So where does this leave me right now? I’m in a city park.  It’s in center city, but I liked the walk over.  It took about four hours.  It probably would only take two, but I took the long way, investigating some new streets and neighborhoods.  I left around 8 anyway.  I knew I should arrive around noon because that is when most people are on their lunch breaks.

I started listening in on a phone conversation a white mid-thirties woman was having.  She’s dressed very professionally; respectable suit with her brunette hair pulled back into a tight bun.  She looked like she had a tough morning in the office.

From the sounds of it, her kid must have done something at school and she had to talk him or her out of trouble.  She must have been successful because she carefully closed her flip phone and kept it in her hands for a few seconds as she sighed.

She walked over to the lunch truck and placed an order, still looking pretty stressed.  I figured the vendor probably wouldn’t do a good job soothing her.  So I decided to work my magic.

I knew the area I was headed to this morning, so I put on a nice collared shirt.  I could easily pass off for a freshmen in the university.  It’s been a lot easier recently because my voice changed and my face started to elongate.  I could pass off as a mature 13 year old or young looking college student.  I knew my range.

Max – Can I have one hot dog, please?

I pulled out a map of the city.  I came prepared to appear new to the area.  Or maybe a tourist.  Both are pretty easy.

Max – This sure is a large city.  If this was a vacation with my parents, I could hear my mom yelling at me to stay close and not get into trouble.

I looked at the woman.  She seemed surprised I was talking to her, but not exactly the type who’d blow me off.

Lady – It can be, you just need to know where things are.

Max – I just started at the university.  I’m really excited to explore around here.  Back at home I have to walk a mile just to see my neighbor.

Lady – Mmmh

Max – How long have you lived here?

Someone like this you have to ask about their life.  They will tell you anything if you attack it the right way.  Probably I could get the most out of her if I directed the conversation towards her kid.

Lady – I’ve worked here since college.  I don’t live around here, I take the train.

Max – Oh really? Where are you from?

Lady – Not too far out, it’s a 40 minute ride up north.

Max – The train ride must be relaxing after a long day in the office.

Lady – Well I’m gonna need it when I get home.  My son nearly got suspended today.

Yeah, moving to her kid was the right move.  Though I didn’t expect her to blurt that out.

Max – Oh wow? My little brother used to get in trouble all the time.

Lady – I don’t think there is anything I can do to get him to behave.

Max – You never know, my brother stopped.

Lady – He out grow it?

Max – No, see my dad learned a neat trick.  You gotta punish him the right way.

She looked interested as her face brightened up.

Vendor – Garden Salad.

Lady – Oh, that’s me.  Hey are you eating by yourself? I can point out a few places you would like on your map and you can tell me these tricks.

I’m too good.  Years of practice I guess.  Sure I don’t have a little brother, but she doesn’t need to know that.  I’ve used this story about a dozen times.  It’s actually directly from this guy I met a year or so ago.

I waited for the hot dog.  I always order the cheapest item on the menu that looks like a full lunch, otherwise someone would get suspicious that I don’t have any money.  We walked back into the park and sat on a bench.

Max – I’m Sam by the way, Sam Allen.

Sam Allen was the last guy I talked to.  I put my hand out to shake her hand as she told me her name is Carrie Campbell.

Carrie – So how did your father get your brother straightened out?  I could use any advice.

Max – See the thing is, I don’t mean to make assumptions or anything, but most parents have these lame punishments.  Like ‘you’re grounded’ or ‘no computer’.  But a kid doesn’t really care.  What does being grounded mean anyway?

She nodded like I was explaining her life.

Max - You have to get creative.  Make the punishment fit the crime.  Like when my brother played hookie with the rest of his friends to go to the shore and surf, my dad made him hold a surfboard over his head for 30 minutes.  And if he dropped it, the clock started over.

Carrie – Yeah but isn’t that child abuse?

Max – Not really.  What’s my brother gonna do, call the police and say, ‘My dad made me hold my own surfboard.’?  They’ll just laugh at him.  Or when he used to sneak food into his room for midnight snacks, my dad removed his door for a month.  See you aren’t directly punishing them, you merely providing annoyances.  And I’ll tell you those really affect a kid. 

We chatted for about twenty minutes until her lunch break was over.  She was definitely relaxed and ready to attack the last 4 hours of her job and as I completed mine.  She was pretty easy.  It’s amazing how much people like talking once you get them started.  And I can crack anyone.

I looked around the park and I didn’t really feel like doing the same thing.  With this area it’s always the same thing: act like I’m a college student, talk about someone’s kid or spouse.  I wanted to do something different.

As much as I explore the city, there is one place I never go.  And that is across the bridge into the suburbs.  I feel like I need to leave it be.  Because that is my dream.  That is where I want my future and I don’t want to spoil any surprises.

But one thing I do is go up to the bridge and look around.  As much as I love to talk to people, I also love to be by myself and simply look at an old truss over water or walk through some trees and follow a trail of footprints to a rabbit’s nest.

That was how I wanted to spend the rest of my day.  After talking to Carrie it made me want to have that American life style.  So I’d just look across the bridge for awhile. 

I made it home sooner than I thought.  It took 15 minutes under two hours.  I wanted to change into a plain tshirt and jeans.  I try to keep the nicer clothes clean. 

It was around 3 and to no surprise, my mom was still passed out on the couch.  I just sighed, fluffed up a pillow and placed it under her head.  As much as she embarrasses me, I can’t just give up on her.  Maybe all this social experimentation of mine I can use to fix her one day.  One can only hope.

The river is about a half hour walk west.  Once there I sat in my usual position on the rail looking over the edge.  There was something about staring into the water that was really comforting.  It got me thinking.  Why have I been so reluctant to cross the bridge.  It’s no different that talking to someone in center city.

So I decided.  I detached myself from the railing and crossed.  It felt weird because I honestly had no idea where anything was.  So I just followed the road that lead to the bridge. 

Eventually it took me to a mid-size mall.  The name sounded familiar, but it was all new to me.  I decided to find someone my age to talk to.  It had been awhile.

It looked like any mall from the inside.  There were all your normal stores, a few anchor stores, but really nothing special.  I have no idea why I was so reluctant to come over here before.  I spotted two guys walking into the music store that looked my age.  They didn’t look too uptight, so I wandered into the back of the store.

They split apart and one came closer to where I was.  I was poking through the CDs.  I never actually bought a CD, no way to play it.  There is a radio at my house, so I listen to some random stations.  I have to stay current on what going on in the world, especially with my hobby.

I picked up a Green Day CD titled ‘Dookie’.  It sounded familiar.

Logan – That’s a classic, man.

I acted like I knew what it was.

Max – Yeah it is.  This is one you never stop seeing in stores.

Logan – Have you heard their new CD?

Max – Yeah, its pretty good.

Logan – What’s your favorite song on it?

I could pretend I know.  Just smoothly pick up the CD, I saw one that had a ‘newly released’ sticker on it.  You know, point out some songs and make up some bs.  But tying a shoe is harder than getting out of this question.

Max – Man, you gotta respect the roots.  This old stuff here is where it’s at.

Logan – Very true.

The other kid walked over.  I hadn’t seen him up close yet.

Johnny – Logan, you ready? We can get all this stuff online.

Logan – Yeah, I was just talking music with... what’s your name?

Max – Hi, I’m S-

I started to say my name for the day and put my hand out to shake, but something happened.  I looked at the other guy’s eyes and my mind stalled.  My body actually froze.  This never happened.  I’m the king of being smooth.  What was going on?

I felt like I was in a slow mo replay of a golf swing.  As he put his hand in mine a chill came through the touch like an electric shock, up my arm and all the way down my spine.  It paralyzed me.

I couldn’t move.