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One of the great things about living in South Florida is its endless cast of characters. The sunshine and warmth are irresistible lures for people who want something better than what they had before, starting with the weather. The doers and the wannabes alike find themselves attracted. The builders and dreamers, the aggressive sharks and laidback snow birds. And more. Nearly every type, it seems, from everywhere. As much as the surf and sand, the residents and visitors give this area its unique flavor.
Sometimes they also make your day. That happened to me this morning, driving home from my girlfriend’s place in Pompano Beach. It was a beautiful morning and I had my new blue convertible’s top down, soaking up the sun at a Sample Road stoplight. But I also was feeling a little of that silly “why, oh why isn’t life easier” thing we all struggle with sometimes. In my case, it was just some frustration over funding my humanitarian nonprofit group, never easy but harder still when your organization is new. And then I heard this guy. Heard him before I saw him. He was loud. And green.
He was dressed like some weird hybrid of the Statue of Liberty and Uncle Sam, with an enormous green crown and a green Sam-suit. He held a sign for some tax-prep service or something. I wasn’t quite sure. But this was a man with enthusiasm, striding energetically beside the road, shouting a sales pitch worthy of a carnival barker. “Come on, now, people, y’all want them taxes done, don’t ya? Ya know you do! I got the place, got the place right here!” Big smile the whole time. Funny, not threatening. He caught me smiling back, I guess, and started talking across four lanes of Federal Highway. “Hey, blue car! I want that car! Come over here and gimme that car! Come on now, I’m not kiddin’” And I started laughing and he’s laughing and I’m thinking, “This guy must be some unemployed actor. He’s got style!” And I also thought, “If he can enjoy his job that much, who am I to complain about anything?” I drove off, smiling for a long time at this performance by another member of South Florida's colorful cast. Sometimes they turn up just when you need them most.
Sometimes they also make your day. That happened to me this morning, driving home from my girlfriend’s place in Pompano Beach. It was a beautiful morning and I had my new blue convertible’s top down, soaking up the sun at a Sample Road stoplight. But I also was feeling a little of that silly “why, oh why isn’t life easier” thing we all struggle with sometimes. In my case, it was just some frustration over funding my humanitarian nonprofit group, never easy but harder still when your organization is new. And then I heard this guy. Heard him before I saw him. He was loud. And green.
He was dressed like some weird hybrid of the Statue of Liberty and Uncle Sam, with an enormous green crown and a green Sam-suit. He held a sign for some tax-prep service or something. I wasn’t quite sure. But this was a man with enthusiasm, striding energetically beside the road, shouting a sales pitch worthy of a carnival barker. “Come on, now, people, y’all want them taxes done, don’t ya? Ya know you do! I got the place, got the place right here!” Big smile the whole time. Funny, not threatening. He caught me smiling back, I guess, and started talking across four lanes of Federal Highway. “Hey, blue car! I want that car! Come over here and gimme that car! Come on now, I’m not kiddin’” And I started laughing and he’s laughing and I’m thinking, “This guy must be some unemployed actor. He’s got style!” And I also thought, “If he can enjoy his job that much, who am I to complain about anything?” I drove off, smiling for a long time at this performance by another member of South Florida's colorful cast. Sometimes they turn up just when you need them most.
posted by LauderBLOGGER at 4:33 PM
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