Friday, February 1, 2013

People I Might Like to Be



The girl with her blond hair in a French braid carrying a satchel of schoolwork.

The man who holds the Stop and Slow sign (easily reversed) for the road crew on the hilly stretch of the curvaceous back road; now stopped himself for half an hour to stand in the oak shade and eat a taco scented with cumin, oregano.

The Hawaiian worker clearing spring weeds in the private vineyard where they’ve planted sixteen rows of Cabernet Sauvignon.

One of the three friends walking with an old golden retriever, like something out of an Anne Tyler novel only not in Baltimore.

Or myself, maybe.  Stirring the cinnamon and kalamata olives into my Greek stew, my hands smelling of chopped garlic and the pink roses I’ve just settled into a pitcher.


 

3 comments:

  1. I'd like to be my friend Ennio.
    Sometimes I'd like to be Jack Kerouac in The Dharma Bums. I'd like to be my friend Stefano, who enjoys tending his garden in Austria, where he lives.
    But given what I have, I content myself with being myself.

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  2. i'd like to be maggie smith with the wit of julian fellowes coming from my calm and well bred lips. i love her tiny throwaway show stealing one liners.
    can you tell i'm awaiting downton abbey this evening?
    but it would be so nice to look more like lady mary!
    all in all i'm like jay paoloni above . . . quite content to simply be me. myself. and i.

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  3. I'm glad we're all happy to be ourselves, Jay and Tammy—and I'm happy you are you!

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