the story of albert "al"

It's folks like these that make me really appreciate the subtle joys of living in such a shitty town.

I wish I could see him again and tell him he's in my blog so he could read it.

So as I was sitting at the coffee loungey-area in our local elderly-infested mall reading our local amateur newspaper which consists of stories such as cats getting arrested and witty jokes your grandmother might enjoy,

On a side note, I'm strangely attracted to the lead singer of Mother Mother for reasons I can't explain. It could be the fact that he can possess such a feminine and eerie sounding voice, or perhaps his intense bone structure, or maybe his Mohawk... Whatever it is, I could fap to that mofu in a church.

Anyway, back to the story.

I'm quite sure Al caught my attention first, with his leather cowboy hat with a complimentary eagle feather hanging like a tail and his large earrings. Perhaps it was the fact that he was total alone, yet talking to himself like he's been mute for years. I guess he noticed that I was watching him with keen interest, and started directing his outer monologue towards myself. Somewhere a muck the constant stream of words, he told me "if I start to don't make sense, 'cause y'know I hear voices sometimes, then just tell me to shut up".

I like him already!

Anyhow, so he goes on to tell me how his hat-feather is magical and that he's recently been finding his spiritual side. "This feather has magic, and y'know it's some powerful stuff it guides me everywhere I go," and he then proceeds to tell me the tale of how it came to be on his hat. "So I was outside having a smoke and the feather just lands on my shoulder, just straight, like a finger, y'know, and it's pointing me to go back inside and stop smoking so I say, 'okay, you're the boss!' and I go back inside and lately I've been off smokin'."

Quality inspirational stuff here, direct to you from a feather.

He also told me how difficult it was to go to so many meetings (recovery sessions, he's laying off the drugs and the booze so he can get a job and a ladyfriend) at once, "I just can't be in a hunnerd different places at once, there's just one me.. I think."

So before I forget everything that happened, we exchanged names and he shook my hand and said "Godbless" every time he left (3 times, total).

Some memorable quotes:

"Don't drink and drugs!"

"I've been without a woman for 15 months! You try doing that, it'll do crazy stuff to a guy."

"My teeth got knocked out by a...wise old guy."

"Back when I did cocaine, which is why I hear the voices and I just have to keep talkin' to people or else my head gets filled and I go completely coo-coo!"

"Actions speak louder than words, so I'm here showing everybody that I'm getting better!"

I also saw a woman with a caved in face.

Overall, a magical day.