Friday, March 5, 2010

It's Rude to Stare...


...unless you're a writer, according to my girl Flannery:

The writer should never be ashamed of staring. There is nothing that does not require his attention.

~Flannery O'Connor


What's caught your attention lately?

When I walk to work (square in the middle of the French Quarter), I see some pretty weird things.

Yesterday I saw a female Michael Jackson impersonator do the moonwalk accompanied by a gorilla playing a drum-kit. Barely gave them a second glance. Lately, it's the more mundane things that make me stare, that make me think.

Sometimes I'll find myself staring, not at the historical architecture and decaying beauty to be found, but the junk accumulated overnight on the sidewalks.

This morning I stepped over a lost glove, a used condom, two broken guitar strings, a mangled baby stroller and a dog collar. Guess the weekend's coming. ;)

These simple, everyday (somewhat disgusting) items are part of a larger story, a number of greater stories that my brain is free to rewrite in any way I like. Now I'll have to go stare at some people until I find the right ones to interact with these items...

Found yourself staring lately?

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