On being Invisible

 

Guy loved to spend early mornings in the Village, sitting at a sidewalk table savoring a hot cup of coffee, (Americano/3/4 fill) and doing the times crossword. He also loved watching the not fully awake masses on their way to their cubicles, their cash registers, their labor. People watching was his favorite pastime. It was a game to him trying to guess what they were thinking or what they did for a living. Like the young man who just went by on a skateboard, dressed in a suit and tie wearing a porkpie hat and black 'Van' skater shoes. I.P guy at Great West Life, he guessed.

His second most favorite thing in the world was eavesdropping, whether on public transport, in a cue, or sitting at a sidewalk table like now. He always had his antenna tuned for anything that could be translated into a good story. There was so much great material to be gleaned by just paying attention to what is going on around him. 

If someone were to ask him what superpower he would most like to possess, it would be the power to become invisible. He figured that this would be the coolist superpower of them all, yet even without this power he has managed to become next to invisible.

As far back as he can remember he has been able to see instantly the many different sides or possibilities to any argument. Things have never been Black or White to him. He lives in a grey scale world and he is happy with his place in the Universe. He has never consciously tried to be invisible but he has endeavoured to never stand apart from the crowd but rather to blend into his surroundings. He is not the kind of guy who takes one for the team but then again no one would expect it of him. One of the real benefits to being invisible is that people have little or no expectations of you.

You might think that this would be an easy style of life to maintain but you would be wrong. While no one else has any expectations, that bloody little man constantly yammering inside his head does. It is constantly telling him to speak out, to take the lead, to give an opinion and for what! So it can satisfy it's never ending need to be stroked, to be held in high opinion, to stand out and be noticed. 

No...it's not an easy lifestyle to maintain. He has to constantly take deep breathes and bite his tongue because he has found as he gets older he suffers fools less and less. For the most part he is happy being what's his name...You know the guy who was standing next to you at the bar...

Reviews

[Gideon Dreamer Kasirye]

i love this so much something i tried to do but its so hard haha

[Paul McCall]

I love this Jack, but your scaring me, have you been flowing me around and taking notes? You must be invisible, I never noticed you!
Great little story Jack.

[Jack Dawkins]

Thanks Paul, I popped in and read your Bio and like you I'm trying to piece together a family tree but there seems to be a few dead branches. I also under no allusions that anything I write will achieve any great recognition, as it should be because I started way to late in life, but I am enjoying what little I do. I will be coming by to read about your childhood in the hills of Old Kenntucky. Thankks again for the kid comments.

[Paul McCall]

Jack, you are welcome, oh… and by the way the Kentucky story is a story my great aunt wrote for her daughter when she was on her deathbed back in 1935. I guess when they had the chance they didn’t do much talking and my aunt was trying to make up for it before she passed? Any way it’s a great story and I felt it should be put out for folks to read. I hope you enjoy it?

[EurasianFlavour]

Sounds like the start of a satirical piece...maintaining the invisible lifestyle...

but I can still relate. I have always been the quiet type and never purposely drew attention to myself. I still like watching from the sidelines: observing and learning.

[J. J. Nightingale]

I used to speak out, and even shout, on occasion ..
But as I dared, there was that little fear, that someone would disagree..
Or just turn and walk away .. sigh
Don't think I EVER felt invisible..( or ever wanted to be)
Till now.. as people pass by, I am just another face in the crowd
A nobody.. .. being silent ..a breathing and thinking, human
A woman, who did everything she wanted to do, and more ..

Very interesting views ...
Luke 12:48 .. comes to mind

But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more....

Good Write ! ... Jazz

[Jack Dawkins]

Interesting quote from Luke. Thanks Jazz

[J. J. Nightingale]

:).............. j.

[Jack Dawkins]

Thank you very much for the read and kind comments. Yes it is very hard to bite back your words, but there is a zen quote that goes;' To find truth, you must drop your opinions'.

[Mockingbird]

excellent description of the invisible everyman who absorbs everything around him, even finds art in it. i agree, the upside of being invisible is that no one expects anything from you. i feel the same way about being invisible. a favorite quote of mine is: who speaks knows not, who knows speaks not. but then again sometimes it's hard to bite one's tongue when the opportunity to correct something presents itself. i really liked this piece.

[Pete Langley]

I think , for many, including me, it`s about comfort. It takes some time - more time for some than for others - but we`ll test it till it feels comfortable and that`s pretty much where we`ll stay. There are no highs or lows in this, and the comfort zones will change at different times. Sorry, Jack, I`m rambling. I loved the write. P.

[SHEEMA HUQ]

I enjoyed your exploration in to becoming invisible, wanting to be or just plain invisibility, nicely penned

[Jack Dawkins]

The truth is I chose to hide in the middle of the pack before I became a teenager and I must say I was successful. It's only lately that I wonder where I would have been if I hadn't made more od an effort. In the end we all are what we set out to be, whether we realize it or not. We choose a path and live it and even though we yearn for the path not taken, we must realize that had we done so we we would be yearning for the one we are already on.

[Jack Dawkins]

Yeah maybe it's an age thing. When I was young I knew everything and I could have solved all the worlds problems, now that I'm older I find I know nothing at all.

[Samuel Dickens]

I think I must be turning into him or someone much like him, at least. Grey world, observing, not commenting, yeah.