Many years ago, on a rainy summer day, Lee and I had to go grocery shopping.
He was wearing a tan cloth raincoat, shorts and a T-shirt and his sneakers.
I usually drove us and was preoccupied about what to buy, planning meals in my head.
While walking the aisles, I noticed several people giving Lee the side eye, and doing sort of double takes. We usually walked the aisles separately, me getting my stuff, and Lee getting his snacks and other things he wanted.
He was pretty far ahead of me and then it hit me.
The raincoat was mid thigh, just longer than his shorts. It was buttoned up, so you couldn’t even see the top of the T-shirt. All you saw was this guy in a raincoat, baseball cap, and high top sneakers with socks. He could have been completely nude under that raincoat.
He looked like a classic illustration of one of those guys that had just come from the XXXX theater.
I was appalled at first, then started to laugh. I laughed so hard I had to lean on the meat counter to keep from falling over. Tears were rolling down my cheeks. Lee turned around looking very indignant (like what’s so funny?)
I told him later, but he didn’t care. He never cared about what he looked like.
Today I was getting rid of the raincoat–its far too worn to pass along to anyone–and tears were running down my cheeks again, but I wasn’t laughing this time.
God bless everybody.
Patty
That is pretty hilarious. Writing it down was a good idea. That’s a memory that should be preserved.
Lee was totally oblivious to his appearance. It was one of his many quirks. I have my quirks, too. I often said we were a pair of eccentrics who were lucky enough to find each other.
The Columbo effect. I’m somewhat the same.
Quirks are what make us all interesting one way or another.
Very funny story – thanks for sharing. I imagine Lee never contemplated being a fashion model when growing up 🙂
He was something else.