Karen Hirst
A cornucopia of human form, attired and adorned with accoutrements that speak of personal stories and choices made, pours forth into each new day.
Most of us have found ourselves enjoying a few minutes here or there relaxing into the moment and capturing all the human diversity making its way across the daily stage.
Coming in every shape, size, colour of skin and eyes that human genes can configure … tells somthing of our source.
With hair long or short, in natural God-given colours or rainbow hues poured from a bottle, in jeans purchased solidly intact or with cuts and slashes and denim partly missing, some conservative, others a little more risque, some adorned with baubles and beads and others plainly bare…each, a public persona of personal choosing.
Take for instance…
Behind the cafe’s counter a youthful male closely replicates one of the Little Rascals. His round smiling face appears below a black cap with its peak turned backwards holding back his hair. He happily greets each customer and serves out their orders with the accommodating patience of ‘customer service’ training. He wears a red plaid shirt open down the front to reveal a stenciled T-shirt and his khaki coloured trousers are slung low and loose over his bottom…he hangs within the boundry of his peers.
Appearing at his counter with an undeniable presence is a very tall, larger boned lady of senior years. Heeled in fire engine red ankle boots with decorative coloured stones studded into their top edges, she carries a large pink tote bag with red leather edging and shoulder strap to match. Her stone washed, red cotton dress hangs loosely falling directly from her shoulders and stopping mid calf. Her white hair is topped with a cream coloured straw hat…she looks terrifically eclectic and in the carefree mode of her age and summertime easy living.
A friendly young man stops to share greetings. He is well turned out from top to bottom with his stylish hair cut and neatly trimmed beard. His lap top, encased in black leather and slung over one shoulder matches his fully black and white attire. In black form fitting jeans that stop just above the ankles and a long sleeved black sweater with inlays of bright, shiny white leather on the front along with black casual slip-on shoes with their snow white soles speaks volumes … I’m comfortable and chic in my cityized skin and I have the confidence to show it.
Yes, ‘people watching’ can offer a few moments of self entertainment as we surmise correct assumptions based on what’s before our eyes, however outward images may be nothing more than a cloak of disguise reminding us of the old adage ….”you can’t judge a book by its cover.”
