I was so impressed/intrigued by the scowl on this man’s face that I looped back around an aisle kiosk in Walmart to get his photo. It’s not like he was an anomaly among a store full of happy shoppers. He just wore on the outside what most were feeling on the inside.
So he wasn’t in line at the pharmacy. He wasn’t waiting in a long, slow-moving self-checkout line. He didn’t seem to be with anyone. He was just standing. Standing in the middle of Walmart.
Anyway, I wonder what’s going on in his mind. How’s his day been going? How long has he been standing here? How long would he just stand there?
Maybe he’s hungry. His watch says 12:05, so he might just need a little lunch.
He could be waiting for someone. Waiting and waiting and waiting for someone to decide what they wanted off the shelf.
He still had his sunglasses on inside the store. He may have been frustrated because he couldn’t find his glasses.
Is he working undercover security? I can’t see his right ear. Perhaps a voice is speaking through an earpiece, “Keep an eye on the woman in line at the pharmacy.”
Or once again, someone said to him, “Wait right here, I’ll be back in a minute.” That minute turned into thirty.
As I watched him for a moment, I flashed back to a youth mission trip memory. Stopped at a Waffle House, we watched a man leaning up against the wall, smoking.
He looked angry. Angry that he was smoking. Angry at having to be at the Waffle House. Angry to be alive. Angry.
Note to self: the next time you’re out running errands, remember that anyone can capture your grumpy/irritated/angry face. Crack a smile and make them wonder why you’re happy.
Waite for it... 