Yesterday's Lunch Date
Sunday, February 05, 2006
I saw her coming from the window inside the restaurant. My student did not know what she looked like, and therefore had no idea what to expect. Her face was wrinkled with experience and a life of blessings mixed with disappointmentBefore you noticed her face, however, you saw her. The Sun shone and yet she wore a furry tam, the colour of lemons, with a matching rain slicker. Gum rubber boots, the style that my son wears. Black with pink soles. They tucked her pant legs in and came up to the knees. She wore a heavy backpack on her back. She is a thick woman. Short and pudgy. When she pulled the tam off her head, she exhibited a practical short grey haircut of the sort you would get from the $10.00 hair cutting shop. Appearances did not matter, not at all. She received curious stares and glances, but she didn’t notice.
She walked into the restaurant and waved helllooooo loudly to us.
This is the woman I had lunch with yesterday, one of the strangest I know.
However, appearances can be deceiving, for this woman is one of the bravest and most courageous, protectors of the environment. Dismissed as a kook, tree hugger, perhaps even a bag lady. She garnered stare after stare. I saw them, she didn’t. I wanted to tell everyone who looked and thought…she is a defender of this planet; what are you doing? Who are you to stare? We should stare at you and wonder what kind of person you are. Do not judge. The next person you see who looks like a kook just might be one of the most inspirational.
She ordered a plate of fruit for lunch, and while we talked, the juice squirted and sprayed and I had to resist the temptation to wipe the spray from my new journal, as I wrote down her words of wisdom. So her words are forever etched in my notebook, along with the watermelon juice.
You are a rose among thorns.
A flower in bloom among buds that don’t open.
A square peg, that refuses to believe
That you can not make a square
Fit into a circle.
Keep on refusing.
Keep trying.
Keep forcing.
The disbelievers.
The decision-makers.
For your square is colourful,
The shades of nature and
Everything beautiful.
They soon will see
That there is nothing crazy
About wanting to protect, preserve
Restore and Enhance.
Somebody, please tell me…
What is so radical
About that.
This entry was posted on Sunday, February 05, 2006 at 8:57 PM.
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11:51 PM
Cathy - Who decides what is weird? ;)
You never know who is in control. I see alot of myself in your friend. Looks are deceiving. ;)
Peace & Hugs,
- Neo