Warming up to the holidaysBy JEFF LUND
December 27, 2014
Key ingredients of buying, selling, eating, walking, resting, napping, whining and flirting all soaking in a bullion of voices and shoes on tile. I’m not a big mall guy, but around Christmas time, it is certainly entertaining. If Christmas took my family out of Alaska, dad used to sit and count how many parents used to the ATM machine to keep their kids behaved while mom did her shopping. My buddy Nate and I did the same in a California mall a few years ago and were amazed at how well kids had their parents trained to dispense money at the sound of a scream. This year, I did quick work of my shopping at a mall in Tucson and spent a good amount of time on the benches and chairs enjoying the happenings as mom made her rounds. It’s a beautiful time of year. So much availability, so much to see, own or consume. You can even buy things in the men’s room. For twenty-five cents, I could get ibuprofen if I was in pain, or cologne if I was spitting game. But I was doing nothing but sitting in the warm center of the mall. With no real goal, you can’t help but notice your surroundings - the defeated men on couches waiting out the clock. A seeing eye dog that walks up to you as you’re punching notes for a column into your smart phone. It looks you in the eyes as if to say, “You don’t smell like you’re from around here,” until the owner says, “leave it.” You don’t feel bad for being called an “it” rather than a “him” because that situation called for the practiced command, not the proper pronoun. Tattoos float by on stained skin - words, pictures, symbols...vegetation. A guy who is texting while strolling almost drives his baby into the window of H&M. A group of easily trackable brothers meanders through the masses in matching red sweatshirts and sweatpants. It’s 64-degrees outside, but it’s also Arizona, so there’s plenty of fleece, puffy Marmot jackets, stylish North Face vests and beanies. Of course there are also plenty of flip flops on tan feet at the bottom of tan legs walking around too. My legs look like I’m wearing white knee high socks. I’m working on that. The University of Arizona logo passes in some form and size every fifth person or so. As a UA grad, I like that. The dudes who keep their heads down as they pass the cologne not sold in the same room as the urinals aren’t bothered by the lady in too much make-up orbiting her kiosk. They’ve been here before. On the bench across from my chair an older lady just sat down uncomfortably close to the timid guy who looks like he is a semester from college graduation. His eyes widen, and he’s up and gone within ten seconds. It’s nice to be around people, to experience what life is like in The World, because though denizens of The World flood the docks of Ketchikan during summer, it’s not a bad thing to be reminded of why you left it, or that it’s not so bad. Plus it’s fun to ask them questions about opening car doors with pot holders, not owning any pants which go past the knee and what type of salsa goes best on ice cream. Payback.
Jeff Lund is a Teacher, Freelance Writer, living in Ketchikan, Alaska E-mail your news &
photos to editor@sitnews.us
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