The Elderly Man in the Beige Suit (part 2)

To understand what this post is about, you need to read the story posted in January called `The Elderly Man in the Beige Suit’.

The Elderly Man in the Beige Suit (part 2)

The other day I was driving in the neighbor where I usually see The Man in the Beige Suit .Due to the traffic jammed up at a light, I spotted him sitting in a café situated on the corner of this busy street having a cup of coffee and just staring out at the traffic. However, on this day, to my surprise, he was wearing black pants, a gray jacket, red tie and a white shirt; not his Beige Suit.

I wanted to honk my horn and wave to him. It had been a while since I last saw him and it hurt to think that perhaps he wasn’t around any longer. But then again, if I did what my hearting was asking me to do, he would just look and wonder why a crazy blond woman behind the steering wheel of a car was waving at him. Or perhaps he would have been baffled as to whether this woman was acting this way because of the traffic or if it was really to him; or even if he knew her but couldn’t recall who it was due to his memory loss because of his age. Even so, it warmed my heart to see that he was still around, alive and kicking.

Ok, so it might sound crazy to you that I am glad about having seen him, but to me he is part of my group of acquaintances. It is heartwarming and brings me a sense of hope. It is refreshing to see that a man at that age gets all dressed up and instead of staying home waiting for death to arrive, he goes out. He goes to the trouble of sitting in a café and having his coffee while he watches the passers-by.

It might sound odd, but I know some people who are much younger than he and lie around on their couches in their pajamas in front of the TV just waiting for their time on earth to expire. These people are the ones who are dead to life. We could classify them as the walking dead. I believe that these people might even wake up sad because they have woken up to a brand new day. People who just sit around and watch life go by right in front of their eyes.

I am sure that you know some people like this too, however, not the Man in the Beige Suit. He knows how to enjoy the gift of life which he has been given. He goes out, talks to people, greets people, walks around the neighborhood, does his shopping and returns home when he has finished his errands.

As I have mentioned in my previous text, one day I will stop and have a long chat with this man whom I admire so much. I am sure that he will have wondrous stories to share.

( May 24, 2012)

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“Beautiful Sweater”... “Thanks. It only cost 30 reais”

The other day I greeted a friend with a hug and mentioned that the texture of her sweater was great, nice and soft. Instead of simply saying “yeah, I think so too”, she said “oh I bought at (forget now the name of the store) only paid 30 reais.

It struck me as to why women usually can’t take a simple complement. When someone says something nice about what you are wearing, the answer is usually “oh it is so old” or “Just something I had in the closet” or even “it was a gift from so and so”. Mind you that I have caught myself doing this too and it really bothers me to the point that I feel stupid afterwards.

Is it because we grow up having to justify everything we do, think, say or wear? From the time we start to talk until we die, we usually inform people of the reason why we do this and that also why we went there, why we said what we said, etc.

Or is it perhaps that we are not used to the fact that it is ok to take a compliment? After all, it is good for our health and mental sanity.  It helps keep our self-esteem up. These days self-esteem is something that usually hits rock bottom at times due to the pressure of the media and society.

Of course no one goes around telling people that they look awful or that their clothes are horrible. Come to think of it, I do know some people who get a kick out of making other people miserable. I guess it is because it helps them feel better.

So, I question the simple fact of why not just say thank you when someone compliments you and move on. I will give it a try.
( May 24, 2012)
copyright ©2012 - Todos os direitos reservados a Meire Marion.

Casting My Ballot in Brazil…

Rainy Sunday morning, wet and cold, oh how I wish I could stay in my warm bed.

I need to get up and do what a rightful citizen must do – vote.

Democracy is what reigns Brazil. We won the right to vote in the early 80`s with the fall of the dictatorship regime. But what democracy is this when one must vote. If you don`t, you have to pay a fine and other complications resulting in red tape.

I wake up early on this Sunday morning because the place where I vote is far away from home and there are many people that vote there, for it is in a poorer part of town.

I my car on the same street, been doing this since 1996. The street is uglier for no one takes care of the houses on it and the paint is withered. A few buildings have been put up. I notice that there is a boy taking care of the cars for a few coins. He has grown since the last time I was there, four years ago.

As I walk to the school where the voting will take place, I am approached by simple people who are handing out slips of paper with pictures of candidates and their numbers – last minute to beg for a vote. I say thank you and do not take any. The sense of frustration that these people throw in your direction is unbelievable. What do they get from this? Nothing! Some of them don’t even get a drink. They stand there all day long in the cold rain.

I go to the same classroom as always and there is already a long line with a 30-minute wait. There are people in line who do not need to vote anymore for now they have reached an age that you can decide whether or not you will vote- democracy?

Less than a minute is how long I take to vote. It took the young man who had to give me my proof of voting slip longer to find my name on the list- poor schooling? It seemed like it.

I leave with a feeling of mission accomplished. Not a mission of choosing the people who will govern the country, but the mission of having to fulfill and obligation and hoping that there won`t be another one in 15 days because of numbers.

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 ( Written on October 5, 2010)

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When a day starts off on the wrong foot…

You are awaken at 5 am by the blast of the alarm clock that is now on your cell phone for there is no need to have those old alarm clocks that when they used to go off you’d thrust in bed. Nowadays it starts goes off low and gradually gets louder, similar to the way your mom used to wake you up on those lazy Sunday mornings to go to church.  On this particular day you wake up in tears with an empty feeling in your chest so awful that it hurts. What is the origin of this feeling, a bad dream, a good dream that ended because you woke up, or the simple fact that you miss someone who is not here any longer? Whatever it may be, you need to shake it off for the morning has started and you need to face a long day of dealing with other people, who have nothing to do with what emotions are bursting inside of you.

You get in your car and as you drive off you realize that you have forgotten some things at home and if you go back to get it you will end up without a parking spot and traffic will certainly jam up. Therefore, you try to shake that off too and keep on going.

You reach your destination and at the very first class of the day you are hit in the face with a handful of disrespect. You clearly state that students cannot enter after the bell has rung and they could care less and just ignore what you requested and break the school rules as if they are the owners or the rulers. Mind you, to them this is ok for they are standing at your door anyway. So, you decide that you are going to let this go by too, but before you make sure that they are clear of what has just happened and why your mood has swung.

Moving on you then realize that no one has done what had been assigned and no one wants to do it either, because they have a Math test and since they have not understood what goes on in that subject during the whole semester and all of a sudden they think that they can learn everything there is to be learned on the subject during your class, a few minutes before the time of the test.

Bell rings and the second class starts. Your mood improves a bit because it is a pretty awesome group and the previous classes had been neat. (Neat, pretty old word to use, perhaps because it expresses the feeling of this writer on a day like today.) They come stumbling in; at least they greeted you, unlike the previous group. All of a sudden a verbal fight starts; harsh words, ugly words and aggressive tones of voice all at the same time. Although the group is small, it seems like you are in a soccer stadium waiting for a final championship match to start between Sao Paulo and Palmeiras.

Stunned and in awe you simply ask them ‘Should I interfere or are you guys just throwing around these sweet words for free this morning to cheer me up?’ They stop, stare at you, some giggle because it is an awkward situation and they are embarrassed and others try to answer your question, which does not need to be answered.

All of a sudden a voice comes from within and says ‘Stop fighting this tide and just let it go by. If they do not feel like doing anything, just don’t.’ But how can it be? How can you not do what you have planned? Do they not realize that you have a class plan that you have spent some hours of the previous day working on it and planning it? Then again, they are kids. You are the one who is the adult, you have to set the example and not given in to their laziness. However, you are a human too and on a day like today you really do not wish to move a finger on the matter.

Now sitting behind the computer you refuse to imagine what the rest of the day will be like; it is out of your control anyway.

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