runlikejoy

Displaced Stay At Home Californian in rural N. Carolina

The Many Faces of Joy

The Many Faces of Joy

Friday, February 3, 2012

Carrots


When I was living in Spain there was a long long drive that led up to the school I was attending. It was about a mile and a half, maybe more, maybe less and it had Mandarin Orange trees on either side of the road. Even though it was considered poaching and once in a while there would be a reminder sent out about picking these oranges and eating them, we would occasionally wander into the fields and help ourselves to an orange now and then. There were always workers in these fields and once in a while one of them would be standing by the road. And once in a very blue moon if a solitary girl or two girls were walking by you would see a little more than you had planned on because one of these workers would expose themselves to you. This was my first exposure to flashing.

My second exposure was the other day.

Part of having my youngest child in preschool was to use this valuable time for me and Sally the dog to exercise and get rid of my baby fat, since my baby is now 5. I have only been able to squeeze in an exercise 4 times since September but 4 times is better than none, am I right? Anyway - the other day I was at the park walking laps in the middle of the day. At the park in the middle of the day during the week is a very quiet place, no kids on the swings, no children on the playground, no soccer games in training, no parents standing around, no pick up basketball games in session.

I was on lap 3 when I saw a guy coming towards me on a bike. He had on a helmet and a jacket and a backpack and was looked like he was going somewhere, school, work, public library, parole officer? Anyway - as he passed he had one hand on the bike handles and another resting on his lap/groin area and holding a carrot. He had a very wide smile and the closer he got to passing me it struck me as a little creepy. It wasn't until after he had ridden past that I realized, he wasn't holding a carrot.

4 comments:

Lauren said...

Was it a parsnip?

Ada Funes said...

Que sorpresa te llavaste ..

annamoore said...

aew. exactly why you shouldn't exercise!

Bettinna's wold said...

Honey, it wasn't o far from CAS to Sagunto… Yes, it was "dangerous" but do you remember all the oranges we ate. Still today, 23 years later I do not eat either oranges or mandarines. Not even OJ… OJ is for drinks only, once in a blue moon… But we had fun and it stayed with us and I get all sentimental when I think about CAS. I've been back there several times… but it's changed. The innocence of the place is gone.