I took the train to Boston on my way back to Texas from Africa, to visit my buddy John. He was showing me around the town, and at one point, we were in a subway station. As we waited for the train, I noticed two young people clad completely in black. They were sitting quietly in a corner. I had not seen people dressed all in black leather before I left for Africa. At least, not in Texas. They looked interesting, so I walked over, and squatted down in front of them. In Africa, when you were in someone’s presence and you wanted to show respect, you kept your eyes lower than their eyes, and so I just naturally took the lower position. They looked at me, wondering why I had walked over.
Me: Hi! My name is Sam, and I just came back from 3 years in Africa, and they don’t have anybody there who dresses like y’all, and I just wanted to say that I love your leather.
Person on the right: Um, ok, My name is David, and this is my girlfriend Sophie.
Both of them had buzz cut black hair, and I had thought them both guys. Black leather jackets, black leather pants, and black construction looking boots. David had a small silver chain, that looped down from his nose and was hooked to a nose ring in his right nostril. The other end came out and looped down from the corner of his mouth, and was hooked to a lip ring. I couldn’t stop staring at it.
Me: You have probably heard this a million times, but I love your chain, David. Does it go down your throat?
John: Sam! You don’t just go over and talk to people in a subway station.
Me: I was just telling David that I liked his chain.
David: Yes, the chain goes up and back my nose, and comes up from my throat.
Me: Totally unique, I have never seen such a thing before. Is it difficult to put in? Do you leave it in all the time?
Without letting it show on my face, I was thinking, Holy Crap! How in the world do you put something like that in?
David: Oh, it is easy. I take it out at night, and put it back in, in the morning. I hook the one end to the nose ring, and then I tip my head back, put the other end in my nose, and sort of cup the rest in my hand, and snort it back a couple times until I feel it in my throat, and then I cough it up, and spit it out, and hook the end to my lip ring.
He snorted and hacked to demonstrate how. I smiled at him. I don’t think that I could do that.
Me: Well, thanks for talking to me. Y’all take care.
The subway train whooshed into the station, and John grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the persons in black, and on to the train.
# Slave to Fashion
You do you. <3