Tejas Bongo

Well friends, I've managed to sneak into a large exhibit hall and act with enough confidence that my illicit use of a computer has gone unquestioned. Thus, proving once again that if you act as if you know what you're doing, people will assume you do and not ask any questions.

Anyway, I'm in Texas. I have been doing intense people watching and have two such observations to report.

Human observation 1: At the airport, while waiting for a flight, I found myself seated across from a curious family. The "father" was this very very large man. I mean pro-football player large. He had a tattoo "sleeve" on his left arm that was composed of some rather aggressive symbols. He had several ear piercings in his left ear and heavy silver hoops that pulled his lobe down. He had facial hair shaved in a very thin line to suggest a beard, but not really. With him was a curly headed blonde little girl who was dressed in pink. She was crawling in and out of her stroller, dropping her dolly, and mostly amusing herself. When she would drop the dolly, she'd look up at the very large man -- and he'd pick it up for her -- or at other times would hold it on his lap. It was a most incongruous picture. After several minutes a blonde, young woman arrived with food. I was almost disappointed to see the "mommy" show up -- simply because the big, scary man and darling little girl made such an interesting picture.

Human Observation 2: Today I visited the local zoo. I can't exactly hand out literature about freedom and the pathways to it to the captives, but I can make soothing noises and plant the idea of freedom through my example. Anyway, while enjoying a bit of lunch, I observed a mother with her two daughters. The older daughter looked about 11 -- on the cusp of being a teenager. The younger daughter looked about 8 -- still very much a child. The mother was wearing much too much make up for a hot and sweaty outing like a day at the zoo -- which I take to mean that she has some basic levels of insecurity about herself. While purchasing food, the mother snapped several times at the older daughter for doing "harmless" behaviors which mostly conveyed boredom -- tapping her fingers on the lunch tray, shuffling her shoes, etc. Nothing that would bother anyone around her - other than her mother. During the meal, I observed the mother snap at the younger child on two different occasions, and the reprimand was sufficient to bring the child to tears. Again, the behaviors which caused the mother so much torment were harmless and unnoticed by other eaters.

I could only wonder if the mother would have been better suited to being the parent of boys so that she might not project her own insecurities on her children as much. It was clear from her older daughter's facial expression that she is just a year or two away from hating her mother, and the younger one isn't much farther behind her.

The weather here is hot. But, there is enough breeze to keep it from being unpleasant. I have eaten good food. I have visited historical as well as tourist sites. My face feels pretty sunburnt today. I've been drunk. I am having a good time. The middle of the night phone call from the pervert was probably necessary to give me perspective to know that everything else has been enjoyable.

I don't think I'll be able to post again before I return home. I'm glad that I was able to have this opportunity to post in such a daring way.