While killing time reading a book about quilting and waiting for my spouse to get out of an appointment, I fell asleep and missed out on my second favorite outdoor sport – people watching.  I think while I was asleep I snored, so I undoubtedly passed the fun of the sport on to others.  It’s less embarrassing to others than when I do it myself.

            Ever notice how couples begin to look more like on another as they age?  In our case, it’s a real and corporeal phenomenon.  We can and do wear each other’s clothes.   For many others it’s a state of “unconscious union” or “practicality.”  For example, my spouse is transgendered and started out life forced to dress as a male, not getting the opportunity to be herself until age 53.  Lordy, how could anyone doubt her femininity, even in my old cutoff jeans and large denim shirt?  When we picked up our engagement rings she examined both diamonds closely and determined with the naked eye that my size 8 ring had a bigger diamond than her size 9 ring – the witch!

            I just saw a couple with identical short, curly haircuts wearing grey and white striped shirt and jeans.  Were they aging twins?  Were they former lesbian drill sergeants who fell in love and waited until after retirement to “marry?”  Were they a plain old hetero couple whose lights burned out in their motel room after they drove 250 miles for this morning’s appointment – so they got their clothes switched in the dark?  Or – as we all three stare and they whisper – are we all three (perish the thought!) paranoid?

© 2007 Karen Rice