I just waved at a guy in Santa suit, and I'm wondering why. He was in a very nice-looking suit, with a very full albeit artificial beard, sitting in front of an immensely seedy thrift store.
The guy in the car behind me -- another middle-aged dude who ought to have outgrown it -- waved, too. I saw him in my rearview mirror.
I normally have no problem ignoring people in mascot costumes. I don't see Donald Duck or Uncle Sam or Ronald McDonald; I see a college student or some other poor schmuck trying to make a few bucks by waving at passersby while wearing a goofy, uncomfortable suit.
(Have you ever seen the 'Human Pizza Slice' mascot? It belongs to some pizza chain, and it's a testament to how effective the mascot is that I can't remember who uses it. But WTF is up with that, anyway? Do they think people will drive by and suddenly think, "Wow! Suddenly I have this craving for velour pizza!" and pull in on the spot?)
But my reaction to this Santa was different. I waved at him like he was a real Santa. He waved back. Obviously I wasn't waving at the real guy -- given the neighborhood, he was probably sitting down because he was too drunk to stand up.
So what did I wave at? The suit? The memory of Christmases past? Some romanticized notion from my own sentiments?
I don't know.
But now I have this craving for velour pizza.
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