On being Invisible

On being Invisible

A Story by Jack Dawkins

 

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...


© 2013 Jack Dawkins


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People watching can be a full time job, and there are more types of people than Ben&Jery has flavors of ice cream, not to mention being invisible is a full time job. I like the way you let your character peer into the lives of those who pass him by.

Posted 11 Years Ago


Jack Dawkins

11 Years Ago

thank you lauly... It's also a passtime of mine when I'm in coffee shops and they are too full and n.. read more
Cherrie Palmer

11 Years Ago

now that can be fun
This comment has been deleted by the poster.
Yeah, I know that guy...what's his name...he was standing right there a few minutes ago...

Posted 11 Years Ago



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Added on April 4, 2013
Last Updated on April 4, 2013

Author

Jack Dawkins
Jack Dawkins

Canada



About
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