Playing Fair and Being Kind

Here is a photo of a short story I wrote for this blog in February of 2016. I found these pages tucked inside the front cover of Billie Urabazo’s book, “Now and Again”. The full title is, “Maintenant et de Nouveau; Now and Again”. You must look for it. It is a clever publication of beautiful poetry by my dear, dear friend Lee. I love her. She inscribed the copy I have and it is dated February 2016 so I must have been in Santa Fe for this to happen. There is no date on the pages I photocopied and present here.
These two pages are back and front of the same sheet of paper. I wrote this at a library in Santa Fe, New Mexico during one of my winter escapes from Maine. So it is pretty much fresh off the brain, so to speak. The story has been published here before so some of you may recognize it. I simply wanted to exhibit how some of my stuff gets to be written. I have followed the hand written notes with a copy of the story as I have finished it to date. (My stuff is always subject to editing.)

OF IMPORTANCE

Today I was mistaken for a librarian. I’m not of course. I’m simply a patron. A woman was looking for the place to donate a few books. She had been directed to another desk and found me instead. I can understand why she would be confused or deceived. I was sitting alone by a set of low shelves, a computer screen nearby adding to the image. She saw me and said, Excuse me (hesitation)…Oh! You’re a patron!

I smiled my smile of understanding, patriarchal privilege.

She continued, Well I’ll just leave these here.

The woman placed the books carefully on top of one of the low book shelves not too close to me.

She returned soon apparently having discovered the correct place for book donations. We again made eye contact and I nodded my approval as she scooped up the few books and flew away.

This brief encounter flung me through space and time to 1995 and Symphony Hall in Boston. My girlfriend had been awarded complimentary tickets for the Boston Pops performance that evening. We had front row seats right in the middle. John Williams was conducting. The featured artist was a cabaret singer of import; her name is lost to me.

The singer’s voice and stage presence were extraordinary. After several songs with the Pops accompanying her and John Williams conducting she left the stage. It appeared to be an unscheduled intermission. John Williams left as well and he returned ahead of her. Between the time he came back from the wings to when she did he appeared to be somewhat distressed. He stood near the front of the stage looking first over to the wing and then out at the audience. Finally, he came closer to the front edge of the stage and, looking directly at me, mouthed, She’ll be right back!

I gave him a kind nod of approval and an understanding smile. He immediately appeared to relax.

Soon the singer returned and all was good. I was glad to be of service and available.
G. M. Goodwin
22 February 2016

G. M. Goodwin
17 July 2018