Ok, this is officially ridiculous. IT’S RAINING. IT’S POURING. THE OLD MAN IS SNORING.
This morning I had to get gas and passed by the station twice due to the heavy monsoon. Pass by? The attendant is THE old man in the rhyme and not a day under 85 years old. He’s not snoring. He’s working and there’s no overhang. He’s already bent over like a hook and that’s on a sunny day.
So, I figured I’d wait till the rain let up and went cruising through town back and forth taking pictures. When the rain eased, I returned to my full service station.
Whoosh! The downpour began again. Cars were lined up behind me waiting for service. Every pump row, (there are two) had cars waiting. The silhouette of the aging attendant appeared at my window, familiar to the undersea world perhaps, but not to me. There was so much rubber thrown over him, a tarp might have been the fabric.
I felt badly. I should have pumped my own damn gas at the self serve up the street with the overhang. But, oh, no…FULL SERVICE for me. I have to take photos while getting gassed up and while seaworld’s newest exhibit shuffles away with my credit card, a line of pampered drivers waiting their turn.
It’s raining. It’s pouring (and has been for 26 out of the last 31 days) and the old man is definitely not snoring here about 30 miles southwest of Boston. When he goes to bed tonight he won’t bump his head but he might not get up in the morning.
©Pat Coakley 2009
PHOTOGRAPHS CANNOT BE USED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION
I couldn’t help but think to myself, “through the gloom a happy comet fell bringing joy to the earth”.
Your image is a good start of a series for a creation myth of a new age.
You thought that… really, Razz?? You never cease to amaze me. I LOVE that idea of for a new series.
At 85 it might be what keeps him going for the fear that if you stop, it all shuts down.
Do you wonder how many other people take notice of his presence and feel the empathy that you have?
I loved the humanity of your narration and the nutty, ubiquitous smiley face like an androidal emoticon, grinning through the deluge.
Love Razz’s comment too.
Bonnie is Back! Yea! I breathe normally once again. If I had real empathy, I would have given him a tip!