The Wright Stuff

By David Rose
As you may know, I attend the Unitarian Universalist Church out on Spring Street here in Hot Springs. We don’t have a preacher; we all just take turns. A woman recently took to the podium to talk about those faceless people in our lives. Waiters, shelf stockers, cashiers; the people who stood by us during the pandemic. “We should not forget them now,” she said. “Give them a kind word when they serve your meal or ring up your purchases.”

A few days later I was self-checking in a large grocery store and had in my basket, among other things, a bottle of wine. I signaled the associate, a young man in his early twenties. He came over and checked the date of birth on my driver’s license. 

“1948,” he said. “I thought you were younger.” I was liking this kid already, and not just because of the flattery. His was a boring and methodical job and yet here he was trying to make a game out of it to keep his mind active. He was challenging himself to guess the age of every patron who called for his assistance. 

“Yes,” I said in an attempt to extend the conversation and connect with him as an individual. “Did you know that Orville Wright was still alive in 1948?” He looked puzzled for a few beats and then beamed. “Oh yeah, you mean the popcorn guy.”

For all I know, the Wright Brothers have been canceled and are no longer taught in school, or maybe this kid was absent that day. I gave him the benefit of the doubt.

David Malcolm Rose is back again, this time as a painter. His “Life in the Tim of Corona” series will be showing at the Artist’s Workshop Gallery on Central beginning with the July gallery walk.

Share:

On Key

Related Posts

About the Cover 

The Visitor   By Longhua Xu Longhua Xu’s formal arts training began in 1971 under the Chinese National Arts and Crafts Company. He was one of 50

Yoga: Benefits of Karma Yoga 

Karen Watson Reeves demonstrates Mountain Pose at the steps of Jackson House Crisis Intervention. Photo by Fred Padilla  By Karen Watson Reeves[Contributor’s note: 2025 is