2001-06-04
11:19 a.m.

Every morning, there is a man who stands at the corner of Charles and Franklin streets. He sells newspapers. Sometimes to pedestrians, but mostly to the motorists stopped at the red light.

You probably stopped noticing him a long time ago. You still see him, sure, but mostly he has become as unnoticable as the other cars, the street signs, the pigeons. He's just there. Unremarkable, really. Perhaps even underserving of your attention.

Somedays you buy a paper from him. Feeling guily about paying a quarter for a fifty-cent paper, you give him a dollar and don't ask for change. Most days though, you curse him. The newspaper man stands in traffic, see. Some days, he'll be out among the cars when the light turns green and will delay your progression toward work by an entire twenty seconds! The sheer arrogance of the man offends you. You eventually pass him and roll your eyes for nobody-in-particular. But you don't dwell. After all, he is unremarkable.

This morning, the newspaper man swims the sea of cars, like always, and you eagerly wait for the light to change, like always. A blind woman steps off the curb and begins her trek across the wide street. The newspaper man takes notice. The woman, her steps slow and too-careful, is less than half way across when the DON'T WALK sign stops flashing. The light is about to go green. The newspaper man stops where he is. He drops his papers on the ground and hustles over to the woman. His arm goes around her shoulder and he speaks. "Don't worry darlin'. I'm gonna get you home." The light changes. Engines rev and the cars jump ahead. The newspaper man turns his head and gives the advancing cars a look that simply says 'Don't fuck with me right now.' The cars slow, some stop, and the newspaper man indeed does help the woman to the other side. She places her hand to his face. He smiles. "You have a real nice day, darlin'" She walks on.

You drive away. You do not roll your eyes. The newspaper man is no longer unremarkable.

In fact, he never was.


downtown----uptown
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