Who Am I

I used to make fun of goofy looking people

I mean the kind that make a spectacle of themselves and stand out in a crowd

Here I am at the super market right in the middle of the big city

And I am standing in line behind a cowboy.

He’s got the ostrich boots and a big, big belt buckle

Not to mention the hat

This is a really big, big hat…black Stetson

He has side burns and stands about 6 feet tall

No fat, just long tall jeans with a plaid shirt that has little snaps on the pocket.

He ‘s sporting a huge watch with turquoise nuggets inlaid in the band

Of course he is right in front of me in the checkout trying to buy a pack of Camel’s

And I realized that unlike me, he knows exactly who he is.

He’s a cowboy, no doubt about it.

I was a cowboy for a week once but the fad died and my boots were to tight anyway

I ‘m doing lunch at MacDonald’s.

This group of kids come in.

The girls have dark, dark, eye shadow and so do the boys.

They are all dressed in black

One has purple spiked hair

The tall girl has two nose rings, an earplug and a Celtic tattoo on her wrist

I moved over to avoid eye contact as they  paraded past to find a table.

There are little thought clouds over the heads of all the senior citizens

Each cloud has an exclamation, like “How could her mother let her leave the house?”

I remember that I once belonged

I had a whole circle of friends who knew my name and where I lived

They knew exactly who I was, and because of that, I did too

Anyways, I have always secretly wanted to get a Tattoo

I am walking into the thrift store to find a bargain.

Here is this bedraggled looking homeless person standing by the door

She has a water spray bottle and a roll of paper towels.

Do I want my car window washed while I am in the store.

The real question is, do I want my car window touched by this person ?

Oh, God she smells.

She has an old pair of torn sweat pants on that are too short

Revealing bare calves and shoes that do not match.

The sweats are partly covered by a flowered print skirt.

And she is wearing an olive green ski parka to ward off the cold breeze

A missing front tooth makes her picture perfect

When I realized that but for the grace of GOD this could be me.

I reached in my wallet for a contribution

At one time this gal had a family, a home and friends.

She knew exactly who she was

but somehow along the way she forgot.

I am certainly not going to rush home today and try to remember who I was

I think that I will go on into the thrift store

And see If I can find a cowboy hat

mikeb