Revelations

I went out to a bar last night. Nothing out of the ordinary really. It was typical of any bar really...I ordered a drink, sat and watched whatever baseball game was playing, and started to relax.

The bartender comes over and tells me a joke. It’s a bad joke but I laugh anyway. The bar fills up. People press in behind me ordering drinks. I take a small sip of my Tanqueray and tonic (yes, I drink old man drinks). Then another. Soon the drink is gone. I decide it’s getting noisy in here. Either way, I need to get home and get some sleep. I pull out my wallet and wait for the bartender so I can pay my tab.

Someone taps me on my shoulder. I turn around. Suddenly I’m staring at a man with no face.

“Are you leaving?” the man asks.

The man’s been horribly burned. His skin is tight and waxy looking. His nose has been roasted down to the nub and moved off center. One eye seems higher than the other. A baseball cap hides what’s left of his blonde hair.

“Almost,” I reply.

“My girlfriend’s tired,” the man says, “I just wanted to get her a seat.”

A pretty blonde comes into focus. Why didn’t I see her? She’s holding the man’s hand.

“Hi,” she says,

“The seat’s all yours,” I say, sliding off the stool.

“Thanks buddy,” the man says.

“My pleasure.”

The girl takes my seat. While she’s settling herself on the stool I notice she has blue eyes and freckles above her cleavage. I wonder how her boyfriend got burned. Car accident? An unlucky fireman or a solider charred by a mine? Will she stick by him? Was he like this when they met? Is love stronger than appearances? Or will she leave him when she thinks he can handle it?

There’s no way to know their story. I’m just filling in the blanks. The girl’s standing by her man in the here and now. That counts for a lot. I pay my tab, wish the couple a good night, and head for the door.

As I walk to my car, I can't help but think how some of our problems become inconsequential when you look at the grand scheme of things. Really, it could be worse.