Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Neighborhood Weirdos

It is rather commonly known that I would spend all of my life in my comfiest PJs if I could. On Sundays I change into them as soon as we get home from church, so from 2pm on, I am in my happy pjs. In college, I used to change into them immediately upon returning to my dorm room between classes. On Tuesdays, (my blessed day of nothingness) I don't change out of them until around 11am, and that's only because I have to get Nathaniel to afternoon Kindergarten.

The night of the Super Bowl, I had to go out to the van to get something around 5pm. It was still light enough to see. And since it was a Sunday afternoon, I was already in my PJs. Also, Todd had parked the van in the street that day. I briefly considered donning a trenchcoat over my red be-penguined fleecy footsie pjs, but decided it wasn't worth the effort. And who was going to be outside during the Super Bowl anyway? Instead I slipped on my black and white polka dot rubber rain boots and headed down the driveway.

I had just reached the van when my neighbor across the street stepped out of his house wearing an enormous head lamp and carrying several light bulbs in his hands. He has a thing for flashlights and lanterns. He owns them in all shapes and sizes. Maybe it's because we're both from NJ, where a different level of quirkiness is embraced, or maybe it's becuase we were able to gaze across the street that night and recognize a common bond in one another.

We are both weirdos. We nodded at one another, not saying anything about our respective get-ups and continued on with what we were doing.

Really, everyone is a weirdo. Everyone has something that seems completely normal and rational to them but is viewed as a little absurd by everyone else.

Some people are just better about playing close to the vest with their inner weirdo.

My neighbor and me, not so much.

4 comments:

Tricia said...

I love that you count yourself among the neighborhood weirdos. Thinking of you in your jammies and boots and the other guy wearing a lamp just slayed me.

Beth said...

Was this neighbor a certain someone who is the father of a little friend and who perhaps has enjoyed a few too many illicit substances, or is this just a run of the mill NJ weirdo? Either way, I would have loved to witness the moment.

Jenn said...

LOVE IT! I can totally picture you in your PJ's and rain boots - I do the same thing - I have rubber ducky PJ's that unfortunately probably have to be tossed soon - they are excessively old - but they are my favorite - and I slide on my snow boots to take the garbage out on the weekends and my neighbors think I'm nuts, I'm sure... or a weirdo as you so nicely worded it!

Emilia said...

Nope. It's a different neighbor. He's way more normal on a regular basis.