Have you ever noticed the strange comings and goings when sitting in the food court of your favorite mall? The food court has become one of my new favorite hangouts to relax, watch people and write. Lots of noise, bunches of interesting people and always, always plenty of food to choose from. Tonight it’s pizza from Sbarro’s . Those are the large slices with lots of ingredients on them. Nice and greasy too. I’m actually having a slice of mushroom and a slice of pepperoni tonight. I normally order a pepperoni and mushroom but they didn’t have that combo so I am alternating between each slice so I receive the pepperoni-mushroom effect. I can tell that my fellow diners think I’m rather odd munching on two separate slices at a time while typing on my laptop.
Actually, this is the first slice of pizza I have had in a long time. The folks sitting across from me at the picnic table are questioning what I am doing. They seem to think it’s odd. Maybe so but within eyeshot, I can see at least thirty teenagers and adults texting away on their cell phones. I’m not so odd after all unless they were motioning with their hands about the way I’m eating my pizza slices. I’m breaking all the rules of computer safety having my drink and pizza so close to my screen, not to mention my greasy fingers that are probably leaving smudges on my brand new laptop. Not too worried about it today. This has not been a great day for me.
I just may have to stop at Dunkin Donuts later and grab a couple of donuts. I generally go right to the food when I’m feeling a little down and out. That describes today in a nutshell. I figured coming to the mall would lift my spirits and if eating pizza and drinking a diet Pepsi doesn’t do it, then maybe I’ll go drop a couple of hundred and help grow the economy. I’m always amazed that you can be out shopping at the Mall and not run into anybody you know. Not always but sometimes. I would understand it if I was out of town but right here in my own community, you would think that someone would spy the weird guy typing on his laptop and come over and bug me. Truth is, I’m getting a lot of avoidance from people lately. Maybe I’ve developed some type of body odor or something even worse. Hope not.
Alright, back to the strange comings and goings here at the Mall. I’m sure you have noticed at your mall that everyone hanging out there is younger than you are. That’s getting to be the case pretty much where ever I go these days. The mall seems to have a greater population of younger people. This isn’t a recent phenomenon, but it really is noticeable on a Saturday Night. I don’t believe I have ever been in the food court on a Saturday Night alone. One observation I have noticed is that I wish I would have invented the”hoodie”. Everywhere you turn, there’s somebody in a hooded sweatshirt. I never remember them being such a big deal when I was a kid. I know we must have had them but I seem to have forgotten what the fashions were back in the sixties when I was dressing like a teenager.
Tonight, the community area where I am sitting is filled with a diverse group of people. You have the young couples in their thirties sitting across from me who were obviously questioning my eating habits. Then you have ten teenagers squeezed together at the adjacent picnic table. Two seniors eating to my left who look like deer in headlights. Myrtle Beach is a resort community-these folks are probably from Ohio, West Virginia or some other unpopulated community. Right behind me is Mom, Dad and two little ones, no, make that three with one in a stroller. The kids are climbing all over their table and Dad is trying to control them while Mom is cooing sweet little nothings to the baby in the stroller.
It’s all fascinating to me. I’ve always been engaged in conversation or listening when I’ve sat at the mall. I also read my magazines when I sit in the food court. In other words, I have never paid much attention to the comings and goings of the mall patrons. Most folks seem to be smiling quite a bit. Happy folks here at the mall. I guess maybe that’s why I chose to come tonight. I needed a good pick-me-up and I knew there would be lots of folks here-easier for me to keep my emotions under control.
This article reminds me of Seinfeld-absolutely nothing. I’m just going on and on about nothing. Oh, the little girl in the stroller is talking to me, laughing and giggling. I love little ones. They’re so much fun as long as they belong to someone else. Babies and tiny tots do indeed like me. Something about me I’m sure. Maybe it is because I’m different. At least the little ones pay attention to me. The crowds are dissipating now. You can tell that many are getting ready to re-engage with their shopping efforts. For me, the mall experience tonight was all about being around people. It was fun. I’m sure it’s like this all the time; I just never took the time to notice. I may even try the shopping thing.
No comments:
Post a Comment