I went to an outdoor art show the other day. It was on Beach Street in Daytona Beach. The street was closed to vehicle traffic and well over a hundred artists and craftspeople showed off their wares in tented enclosures. Now, just for the record, Beach Street isn\u2019t along the beach like you might think; you have to cross the Halifax River and walk several long blocks to get to the actual beach. I will bet that a marketing executive conjured up the name. Anyway, I strolled up and down the street admiring art along with hundreds of my own kind, \u201cELDERS.\u201d Oh sure, many regular people joined the mix, but my crowd dominated the landscape. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We walk funny for one thing: a trick knee wobble, a new hip limp, a herky-jerky zigzag stride, a funny foot stumble gait. Most of the crowd was made up of couples, husbands and wives. The men strolled past the booths at warp speed, the women at a turtle pace. \u201cShe\u201d was shopping and in a buying mode; \u201che\u201d was getting it over with, in a cheapskate mode; I heard a lot of, \u201cWe don\u2019t need that!\u201d statements; some coming out of my own mouth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The outfits people wore were as entertaining as the displays, a virtual walk back in time to the fashions of the 60\u2019s, 70\u2019s, 80\u2019s and 90\u2019s. I was in my high-school preppy costume, topped with a straw hat. A sight to behold I\u2019m sure. Many of the \u201coutfits\u201d were accessorized with knee braces, arm slings, wrist wraps, walking sticks, canes and the like. I noticed a lot of guys standing off to the side, staring into space. You could read their faces. \u201cWhere is my wife?\u201d It\u2019s the look of a five-year old kid who has lost his mother in a department store. I know the feeling. I became \u201clost\u201d twice myself, and had no cell phone to tell my wife where I was. It was sitting on the counter at home, where I carefully placed it so I wouldn\u2019t forget to bring it. Duh! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several people were pushing baby strollers, some with babies on board, most with dogs. I\u2019m not sure I could do that; push a dog around in a stroller. It would hurt my image. I\u2019d be more comfortable doing it the old-fashioned way, with the dog on a leash, but who knows, I\u2019m doing a lot of things I swore I\u2019d never do. I did buy something, two pictures. One with a 1940\u2019s woody station wagon parked in front of a Gulf Gas Station and another with a VW pulling out of a Texaco one. I always end up trying to buy my past, when I go to an art show. But, it was fun! I can\u2019t wait until next year. But, I\u2019m going to make sure I bring my cell phone. I don\u2019t want to get lost again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n