Bizarre

I left my house in the spitting rain about half an hour ago for a constitutional, but mainly to think about my prequel I am writing as a thank you to people who subscribe to my newsletter. I was about five minutes into my walk, had just crossed the bridge when I met this lady walking towards me. She was laughing, I bid her good morning as I tend to do on my walks.

She laughed even louder and said: “You look…”

She searched for words while I looked at her with open mouth…

“…bizarre!” is the word she found, and she laughed even louder.

“Why do you say that?” I asked, mildly worried I had forgotten to put any clothes on. But I looked down and could see my grey swat pants with the white zips from my bright red Wolky walking shoes – bellisimo – up the the flared legs of my grey sweatpants with the white zips along my calves to my green coat with all the handy pockets, raind and windproof. Nice too here in Friesland in the north of the Netherlands I can assure you.

Meanwhile the lady I did not know who herself looked quite…. average is the word, was bent over laughing. Much as I like people to have fun I’d rather it was not at my expense, and also I would like to know why.

She moved on and, in all honesty, this is where I ticked my finger against the side of my head. In my defense it was an automatic response, learned way down the line, probably at kindergarten. She was too busy laughing at me to have noticed.

I continued along the Dokkumer EE, the canal relaxing me with each step, but still wondering about this lady, and then I had it, my opening to my prequel – what I had been wondering about, how what happened could have happened, it was someone like her.

So whoever you are, thank you for making my day!