Why I was upset with customer: I wanted to do “something important” something “spiritual” with my life, he wanted me to be “rock-ribbed.” “Strong cheerful Christian man!”
Recommended to customer Carrie (third Carrie) that she incorporate her copious reading into her Spanish Web act: right leg entwined in the thick rope; left leg parallel to floor; head tilted back and parallel to left leg and floor; right arm holding over tipped-back head the complete works of Robert Lowell.
(Second Carrie is cyclist/ photographer. First Carrie, with native american ancestry and an interest in drama, works with disabled kids, which oddly the third Carrie does too…. All the “Carries” are young women out of college.)
Maria (second Maria) who I hadn’t seen in a bit, Robert (lot of Roberts) who I hadn’t seen in a bit. I recently had had the thought of both of them –about twice I had had this thought– that I hadn’t seen either of them in a while, and suddenly they both came in, one after another. Maria had just finished Michener’s Chesapeake, Robert was reading Blink. Robert said that we tend to grasp things intuitively before we grasp things rationally. Maria said the families in Chesapeake maintain quite distinct identities over the centuries.
Over the years there have been three groups who will at fairly long intervals (once or twice a year) come in to solicit donations: the guy collecting for veterans (generally Christmas, the same guy); a black youth group of some sort; an Asian group of some sort, who I haven’t seen in a few years now, and which I believe is associated with Reverend Moon. Today a representative of the black youth group came in. “How are you today, sir,” he said. (Probably in his early teens, younger.) “I’m okay, yourself?” I said. “I’m bad.” I nodded, but didn’t push the conversation forward.
Customer R, having been in an accident. Jaw dislocated. She had been going home in an Uber which was itself struck by an Uber. That was a couple weeks ago now, during which, a nurse by profession, she was often confused for a patient. She was alright now, but had gained four pounds.