Loose Ends

April 24, 2008

"I saw a normal guy in our building yesterday," said Deborah. She had ridden her bicycle to work, and when she arrived home at the end of the day, someone from the building held the door open for her. "A nice normal guy who held the door and actually said hello. Can you believe it? He didn't ignore me, he didn't grunt, he didn't tell me he was going to open it anyway."

It sounded like a joke, but a few months ago when Deborah was bringing her bicycle into the building, a scruffy guy on his way out pushed the door wide open. Deborah caught it and thanked him, thinking he was trying to be courteous, helpful even. He just shrugged and said, without humor, "I wuz gunna open it anyway." Deborah stood dumbfounded as she watched him scurry up the street.

Deborah's eyes slowly rolled to the left as she drifted back in time for a moment and gave the guy a good beating. She calmly returned to the here and now, peaceful and refreshed.

"Tying up a few loose ends?" I said.

"Yup."