Too Sick to Groom?

Went to an arcade today with the family - Nickle Nickle - all games take nickles instead of quarters, hence the name. Ema described it as "Kind of like Chuck E. Cheese, but not quite as formal." I laughed so hard my cranberry Slushie ran out my nose.

Then it was off to haircuts for us boys where an elderly barber confessed he wasn't feeling well then proceeded to tell me how he shouldn't have come to work today with such a high fever. I believe that people in charge of grooming others should abide by strict rules against showing up to work while sick and then massaging viruses into the scalps of unsuspecting clientele. With every passing hour, I await the symptoms - no, I welcome them so the tortuous waiting can be over and the healing can begin. Soon, tonight probably, as I lay sweating in my sheets, fighting for each breath and praying for the peace that only the soft kiss of death can bring, I'll think of my experience at the barber shop, my lousy haircut, and whether or not the old man who cut my hair has someone to take care of him when he's sick. Right now I just wish I would have tipped him more.

Really? Is That All You Could Think Of???

Found this graffiti scrawled onto a sink in a 7-Eleven bathroom in Oxnard, CA. Interestingly, it was in the women's bathroom (yes, there's an explanation - the men's was closed due to a flooding incident that I had very little to do with). My point is this: If you're going to take the time and effort to scribe something into a sink, to permanently leave your mark for an audience of potentially millions of weary travelers and other weirdos, couldn't you come up with something more creative? How about "Carpe Diem?" "Free Tibet?" or the venue-appropriate "Don't Eat the Hotdogs!!!" Then again, perhaps in her moment of enlightened artistic expression, the patron simply felt compelled to say it like it is. While "Fart Barf" doesn't lend much to the imagination (or possibly too much), and may not find its way into any of Bartlett's upcoming editions, it certainly paints a clear picture and evokes a visceral response from the reader.

So yes, perhaps this was all the author could think of; and the more I consider the work, as one would reflect on any great piece of literature, the more it speaks to me. I'm humbled by its truth and simplicity. So, to the author, whoever and wherever you may be - my hat is off to you. May you continue finding inspiration in unlikely places, and sharing your porcelain poetry with all who deserve to appreciate your art.