How many of you know the man they call "Red" here in SB? I saw him this morning on my way to work and put my thoughts on paper. Next time you see him lumbering down the street, give him a smile. About my friend Red... This morning as I waited for the light to turn green, There was Red, hobbling through the crosswalk. He calls me sis and always pretends there is a spider on my shoulder, I call him Keith, but nobody else does... Each step brings pain to his misshapen body, And he grimaces as he engages in a never-ending conversation with himself. His glasses are thick, his skin is marked, his teeth are few, Only those who know him can understand something of what he says. As I struggled to open my Carpinteria cafe eleven years ago, New in town, without knowing a single soul, He stretched his hand out to me, a gnarly hand, a hand that broke three things for each it "helped" me to fix.. Still he plodded through thousand pound brownie nights with me, Laughing at nothing and everything, covered in chocolate at 4 in the morning, Laughing because I was laughing, shaking his head at me often, but happy. Most people consider him an annoyance, someone to be avoided, But this morning as I watched him cross the street, I felt admiration for a man whose life is not easy And gratefulness for all that I have Keith, eleven years later, I will never forget the nights of brownie laughter.
Posted on: Thu, 29 Aug 2013 02:04:16 +0000
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