Tears of a Clown

On Tuesday before meeting CourtneyS and Lisa P I had a couple of errands to run. One stop on the way, no surprise here, Barnes and Noble. I had seen a book there Saturday when Dena and I stopped in for a brief look and see and decided not to buy it then. During those few days in between visits, I'd find myself regretting the non purchase. Thus the Tuesday stop. Now that is just background, now I am going to tell you the reason for the post. While traveling up the escalator, there was a woman in front of me. Must be a corporate type because she had on a stylish, modern business suit, pantyhose and comfortable pumps. She seems a bit impatient on on the edge, because she never stopped moving the whole ride up to the second floor. She didn't turn around until she got off and looked back in my direction on the escalator. I nearly fell back and I felt my body do a unexpected and uncontrolled jump back. This business woman needed to take a right and go into the health and beauty section of the bookstore because clearly she could not put on lipstick. She had used a lip liner outside her lips and the liner wasn't even near her lips. She filled in the area with a dark burgundy lipstick. Now contrast that dark emboldened color with the fairness of her skin, OK I am not even going to be PC here, she was white, really, really white and you had Bozette the clown. That is why I involuntarily jumped back, cause I have a fear of clowns. Bozette waited at the top of the escalator as if she was waiting for me and as I made my now fateful journey near the top, I broke out in panic attack sweat. I got off the elevator and made a left to retrieve the book I had thought about for 2 days. Bozette stopped me with a question, could I recommend a couple of books to her. She had a long flight coming up and had no clue of any fiction worth reading since her main reading was business related. She went on to share she had been instructed by her boss and her life coach to read some fiction on this trip and add some pleasure because she took business and her job much too seriously. They were afraid for her, her health and her well being if she didn't lighten up just a little. Of course it took me a moment and everything within me not to direct her to the book How Not to Look Old...you know cause of the strident use of her lip liner and lipstick. Then I thought, why did she ask me? Do I look like I take life a little less serious than most, was I dressed so casually that I was an easy sign to give her direction? Ah yes Nancy, the answer is yes to both of those questions. Guess the jean capris led her to the right source. I responded with a list of great fiction for her, nothing too classic and nothing too frivolous. I even recommend some non fiction that reads like fiction. She thanked me and then went to the children's area of the bookstore. Maybe I had been too serious in my recounting of good reads and she was looking for someone a little more childlike in their approach. Or maybe the lady was crazy. I once heard a story of a woman who struggled with mental illness and when she was in her manic phase of life, her makeup was applied loud and garish...much too much. Now I was a little panicked as talked with her cause of the clown fear and with my ADD I was afraid I would forget the book that I had made the trip to Barnes and Noble to pick up. After my purchase, I was on my way to meet friends. I must have a kind face or look like I don't mind being asked questions, because my opinion or some kind of instruction is asked of me by strangers a lot. Maybe today as I am out and about, will be an uneventful and non clown encounter type of day.