Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Marching to Their Own Beat

So, the other day my husband and I were shopping for some food at Wal-Mart and as we were over in the meat department, a young Hawkeye Pierce look alike strolled by complete with forest green bathrobe, shorts, socks, and sandals. People were obviously disturbed by his appearance. After all, this is a little bitty town in central Mississippi, not downtown LA where eccentrics abound, and certainly don’t go into Wal-Mart. So…I lean over to my husband and say, “now that’s classy”. He turns to me and replies, “that’s Isaac!” No way!!! It is!! Oh my gosh, is that really my baby boy??? Isaac!! No response, doesn’t even flinch like he heard me. ISAAC!! Nothing. As he walks further and further away, I debate with myself, he walks like Isaac; he has blonde hair like Isaac. Is that my son??? I pull out the ole cellie and call him. “Hey mom” “ummmm, Isaac, where are you?” “Newton Wal-Mart” this as he rounds the corner, green bathrobe and all. I still don’t understand what he was trying to accomplish, under the bathrobe, he was wearing a white chef’s smock, he has just come back from Hattiesburg where he had gone to cook for a friend in his new apartment. He told us he had worn the bathrobe in the mall down there and gotten some really interesting responses. I can just imagine.

Why does this make me proud? I would never have had the guts to do something like that just to see what the response from other people was. To find out about myself that I myself was one of those with the response was interesting. I still think it would be odd for someone to wear a bathrobe out into the world like everyday attire. I have found though that everyone has their own beat. I like hearing Isaac’s sometimes.