Everyday Carry Didn’t Prepare Me to Lose My Mindfulness
I’m between two odiferous men, and unable to stand upwind. They don’t mean to be pungent; we live under an unrelenting sun near the sea where the humidity wraps us all like a wet blanket. They stare straight ahead, one to the shipyard, the other to the opposite side of the road.
I think about things while I wait and right now, I’m waiting for a trolley. Recently I saw a question on YouTube, “What’s in your pocket?”
I take an occasional glance down the tracks hoping for a train. Any train. The men won’t get on. They are simply hiding from the sun.
One direction goes to Ybor, the Latin quarter, and the other, downtown, to the convention center. A family joins us at the stop discussing where to go to eat before going back to their cruise ship. I check my watch.
Not everything I carry is in my pocket.
I like to wear a watch, a chronograph, a good old-fashioned watch. I’ve been on a brief inexpensive watch bender, Seiko, Casio, Timex, Citizen, good quality, low cost.
I had to replace the bands on the Casios. The plastic irritated my skin in the heat. I bought burgundy leather for the Royale and nylon straps for the G-Shocks, looking for comfort as I buy time.