For months I've been seeing him. A mysterious man, dressed to the nines, very proper. He looks smart, dapper and elegant every single day as he walks to work. He always wears a suit, a hat (wool in winter and straw in spring). I drive past him every day at exactly 6:50 as I make my way into work each day.
I've told my coworkers about him, and mentioned him to my husband. It's very strange, seeing this man, a seeming mirage from the 1940's or '50s, ambling past the traffic each day on a busy street. In the half-light of early morning, I've almost believed at times that he wasn't real.
Remember me saying that TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee was one of my top favorite books since childhood? Well, call me crazy, but I swear, this man reminds me so much of how I've always envisioned him as I read that story. This is Atticus Finch walking among us.
Today was "Bring Your Child to Work" day. So with my girl in the car beside me, and her half-listening to my Atticus Finch story, I was armed today with a camera and asked her, as crazy as it sounded, to capture Atticus on film so I could prove to everyone that he really exists! Atticus didn't disappoint, in fact, today his stylish red umbrella was fully open in the rain as we passed by. She snapped the photo. What do you think? Am I crazy or what?
Now in case you think, "What a school-girl crush she has on this guy." No, it's not the guy himself, it's the yearning for a bygone day. It's a form of nostalgia. Though I'm glad we don't have to always be stuffy and wear suits to work every day, a part of me longs for something in that time that is gone. But there still remains a remnant of that time gone by. Atticus Finch, and maybe others like him, hold to simple routines such as walking to the office, even on a rainy day, and keeping step with himself. He manages to do so with elegance, grace and style. Refreshing.
No comments:
Post a Comment