i saw something today

i saw something today. it was both completely amazing and completely horrifying at the same time. it made me laugh right out loud to myself, alone in my car; and only seconds later tense all the muscles in my body in an uncomfortable cringe.

at first i thought it was just your normal lady on the street wearing one of those placards advertising for some mattress store. you see them all the time these days, at least you do around here. it was sort of a chilly, rainy day here, and i can only imagine what a joy it must be to stand out there on a busy corner waving at passing cars as if you you actually care whether your smiling and waving lures them like suckers to whatever establishment you're advertising.

as i sat at the stoplight and watched her, though, i realized what was happening. i started seeing that this woman was moving her body as she stood there. initially i thought, "well sure, it's cold out and a lady's gotta stay warm somehow, right?" but no. no, no, noooooo. this was nothing of the sort. there was no jumping up and down, or shifting of weight from one foot to the other; no rubbing of palms together, no general shaking around. no. i stared in horror as reality struck. sometimes it really does sting...

she was, um, dancing? this 40-something woman, puffy from layers of sweats--with hood up-- and coated in a wet, yellow poncho, was doing some sort of interpretive dancing. no it can not really be called "interpretive" so much as, well, grinding. she was grinding on her sign as the cars splashed passed. her arms were up, her hips were most definitely gyrating, and she was short enough that when she would start bending her knees and get low in a seriously "tempting" sort of way, the signs on either side of her would hit the ground and sort of knock her over a little bit. and every time someone would wave back, or turn the corner towards the mattress outlet or wherever the hell she was promoting, she would get really pumped, make a fist, shake her head yes and dance harder, feeling some sort of victory or triumph.

i mean, i'm really glad that she was at least enjoying herself out there. whatever makes the job more bearable, i guess... i will say that it made me feel really uncomfortable, though; sort of embarassed or dirty or something. or maybe it just makes me feel a little sad that her day was spent out there in the wet and cold while i was doing all of these so-called fun and important things, and yet she was still somehow having more fun than me. i don't know.
but it sure did make that red light seem like enternity.