Tangled Up In Blue

This afternoon I went shopping downtown. I got some badass clothes from the resale shops. I found the most rad silver gypsy hoop earings and wore them out of the store. And I got a new ring that is absolutely perfect. Austin is known for their vintage/resale shopping. It was fun going alone. So I stopped and got my mocha frappuccio and started off toward The Drag. I actually prefer shopping alone because then you can go wherever you want and look at whatever you want, whenever you want. And you don't have to reassure your girlfriend 15 times that she looks great in that. So today I shopped. I mean in a really sensual way. It was kind of like a dream. I saw many things today. I saw a bare-chested hippie in cowboy boots playing guitar and singing Dylan to the street vendors. I saw beautiful leather belts I couldn't afford. I saw bums sleeping in the park. I saw a black shirt that said Keep it Real in pink lettering, so I bought it. I saw a cowboy on the street that asked me for a cigarette, and when I obliged, he tipped his hat and said "Shalom." I saw jewelry made out of hemp and seashells. I saw kids throwing frisbee on the grounds of the Capitol from the bus stop across the street. I saw a man on the bus named Ray who's been sober for 3 months. I saw a girl with a pink and yellow mohawk at a cash register. I saw a blind lady getting off the bus who accidentally hit me with her cane. I saw a butterfly stretch its wings on a rock in the midday sun. I saw a redneck curse at some Asian students for speaking a language other than English. I saw the embarrassment and pain and loathing in their faces. I saw a long-haired boy reading a book on the bus. I saw the difference in the shades of grey in the sidewalk. I saw a cubby girl with an iPod. I saw the gloss on the skin of the co-eds. I saw their has-been mothers. I saw couples on patios kissing, and I saw men with books in coffee shops debating. This may sound like romantic blather, but I swear, I really saw all of this today. The sky has never been bluer.

Jam for the Day: Don't Think Twice It's Alright by Bob Dylan

http://www.w2mw.org/drag.htm
http://www.6street.com/6s_pg_guadalupe.htm