Meeting Rhinestone

This is our/my first entry so I'm just going to pretend that we started doing this when blogging was all new and jump right into my life as if you've been here all along...

A lot of people tell me I seemed unapproachable when they first met me. Okay. That makes me wonder about all the people who just start talking to me on the train. What do I seem to them?

Maybe I look like a counselor of some sort, or I look like a nice person, or maybe they sense my harmless energy disguised as fake New York City don't fuck with me attitude...whatever it is I love that I have the ability to make people I know or have to get to know run away and people I should run from just blab and blab and try to connect with me on some absurdly deep level. It's unbelievable. I used to hate this- the fact that random people would start talking to me about their lives and their problems but recently I have realized that this is a gift from above. What actor doesn't want this?

Today, in the train station...I pause as I always do to rummage for something. This morning it was lotion. A woman comes through the turnstile and in a husky voice asks, "Was that the uptown? Dang I new I would miss it." She looks around trying to make eye contact with someone...in this moment I realize: eye contact, that's my mistake. I always make eye contact. One too many acting exercises I guess.


You think I would remember the last time I realized the same thing and not do it but I can't help it. Everyone else around me had the power to just ignore her but I really didn't. She asked a simple question I thought she should have an answer. So I answered...and now- Meeting Rhinestone.

This lady has four teeth on top, about six to seven on the bottom(I immediately think about my conversation with MinDog just last night regarding teeth and I laugh). She has on rhinestone glasses, jeans with rhinestones, nails with rhinestones, and a spanking new pair of converse with rhinestones(she told me later that she used glue to apply those herself- I laughed again (on the inside).  I'm not sure what I was laughing at because I know at some point in my life I too loved a rhinestone). She began to talk to me.

Rhinestone: How does my hair look?

Now let me tell you - she had on a synthetic wig with a- you guessed it- rhinestone headband- her stakes were very high. I sensed this and made sure I didn't say what was actually on my mind.  I wanted to say your hair looks bedazzled, it also looks like it might melt if you stay in the sun too long but instead, because I sensed her desperation I said: beautiful. You look beautiful.  In all seriousness, she did, sort of look beautiful.

Now, as if I wrote the script myself Rhinestone began to cry and proceeded to tell me that she was very nervous because she was going to see her baby for the first time since he got locked up and she told him not to do what his friends were doing but he did it anyway and now she had to go see him...while she's explaining all of this I'm wondering if she means her baby as in her son or her baby as in her boyfriend...it's really strange.

Rhinestone: ...so his parole officer, you know his P.O. Said it would be better for him to come up to disorderly conduct instead of the other charge cuz that way he will only have to be on him for a year instead of two or three. I never visited anybody locked up before. I'm nervous as shit man. How I look?

Metch: You look good. He'll be happy to see you.

A lady walks by, heels clicking all the way. She's dressed for work. You know- a suit, high heeled boots and all that...

Rhinestone: I was gonna wear MY boots today but I said let me put on my sneaks cause I need to be comfortable. Plus I just put these gems on them. Yeah they didn't come like this I did this myself with glue. You ever visited anybody locked up?

Metch: Um no. Not really.

Rhinestone: So you don't have any advice, huh? I'm just real nervous. How my hair look? I just bought this yesterday and I'm not sure if it really fits my head. You think it fit?

Metch: It looks good. You look nice.

Rhinestone: I can't believe I get to see him. He's been there like ten days already. I don't know what's gonna happen. I'm really nervous.

Ten days? I definitely thought her baby had been there much longer. Then again ten days in jail is like a year on the outside...um, I'm assuming.

Rhinestone: You got some gum or something?

Metch: I actually do. I also have some tissue if you want some.

Remember she was just crying and there is nothing worse than wiping snot with your hand but pretending you are not wiping snot with your hand.

I can feel all the people around us just staring and trying not to be caught staring. I mean, I would be staring. Rhinestone is wonderful. She is out there and very honest and just needed someone to listen to her I guess. Lucky me.

Rhinestone continues to tug at her clothes, wipe her face, lick her lips, pat her hair down everything but sit still. This woman really is nervous. She was making me nervous. I sat there thinking I'm so glad I'm not in jail or going to visit anyone in jail and she kept her refrain going...'I told him not to do it. I told him.' She said that over and over again as she pulled and tugged at her clothes. As she kept doing this I was praying for the courage to just ask what her baby did. Why was he in jail and was this her son or her boyfriend...of course I never got to that. If MinDog was there she would have asked.

I need more courage...