"From this hour I ordain myself loos'd of limits and imaginary lines, going where I list, my own master total and absolute, Listening to others, considering well what they say, Pausing, searching, receiving, contemplating, Gently, but with undeniable will, divesting myself of the holds that would hold me."
Walt Whitman (1819-92)
"When I look back now over my life and call to mind what I might have had simply for taking and did not take, my heart is like to break."
Akhenaton (d. c.1354 BC)
And now, the current weather, from some random person we pulled off the street:
Friday, August 06, 2004
Queue
floo-zy Variant(s): or floo·zie
Function: noun
Etymology: origin unknown
1 : a usually young woman of loose morals
2 : the kind of girl I usually picked up when I was an entertainer
My date was on the sidewalk in front of the bar, by the paddy wagon, dressed in short shorts and a skimpy halter top and screaming at the top of her lungs at the bouncer from the bar next door.
Man, turn my head for just a minute, and look what happens.
This was the summer of 1979 at Sloppy Joes Bar and Grill at Myrtle Beach. I was the featured act, and it was three in the morning on a Friday night (technically Saturday morning) which was my normal quitting time. I packed my guitar up as quick as I could, while the situation on the sidewalk just worsened.
Heck, I had just asked her out an hour ago, and things were already coming unraveled. Just my luck, and Friday night, too. Somehow, the fact that it was a Friday seemed to make it worse.
I walked out into the lion's den.
"What's the deal?" I kind of tossed the question out to both of them, like a piece of steaming red meat. I knew the guy, we'd known each other for months. He was big. The girl was, as best I knew, a tourist. She was, well, not so big. But hot. Definitely hot.
"Listen dude, I got nothin against you," the bouncer said to me (and I took special note of the 'you' part.) "But, this girl had a date with me then she made another date with you, and that ain't right."
"Did you have a date with him?"
"Well, yeah, but now I wanna go with you to breakfast." Then they both launched into another screaming match.
"Well, to be honest," I interrupted, and just for the record I was being honest, "I just wanted company for breakfast. We were heading down to the Waffle House. Not a big deal, y'all go ahead." I looked at the bouncer. "You asked her first. That's cool with me. I had no idea you had already asked her out."
"No," he said, staring at her. "I don't want to go out with her now."
"No, really, it's cool. Sorry there was a problem, I didn't know. Have a good time."
"No, you go ahead and take her to breakfast. I'm not taking her out!"
"No, it's fine, really. Hey, you and I live here."
"I don't WANT to."
She had been watching this whole exchange. I think it was about now that she started crying. Neither one of us paid it any heed.
You see, there is a comraderie among folks who work in a tourist area. Sort of a brotherhood. I knew this guy. I knew he was a gypsy. I knew the king of his tribe, too. I knew that both of us would have scrapped for the other one if need be.
"Well," I said, looking at him, "Neither do I."
He and I left her standing stunned in front of the bar, and quite enjoyed our breakfast at the Waffle House.
Let's face it...most relationships you have in life don't work out.
Alex Bennett
\__Cliff Between the Lines__/ is licensed
