Why are you, lady?

Who are you? Dear bank teller lady? What is it that makes you so self assured and confident of yourself? Is it that you sit behind a Counter that has a Safety Glass fitted with a Time Delay Lock? Or is it that you love the service you are in? Or is it that you are fake?

What tune do you hum when you put on your impeccable blue suit in the morning? What beat do you tap to when you step out of the shower? What faces do you make at the mirror after wiping the steam clean? How much time do you leave yourself in the morning to throw open the curtains and take in the fresh air?

Do you say goodbye to your daughter? Or is it your son? Your partner? Perhaps a dog, a cat or a mouse... Or do you say goodbye to Cap'n Crunch? Do you have anyone to say goodbye to? Do you want someone, or are you convincing yourself that you are happy, for now, you are happy?

Do you smile at the bus driver and thank him, or do you smile at the cute guy making eyes at you on the tube? Do you vacate your seat for "Those less able to stand"? Do you play your music really loud or eat smelly food? Is it incredibly stupid that I ask this of a woman in an impeccable blue suit? Do you take your car to work, thinking about your ever increasing carbon footprint in the back of your head? Do you drum on the steering wheel to Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles or is it the All American Rejects?

Are you the one who says "Hi" to everyone at the office or are you the one who sits quietly in a corner, talking to just a couple of people? Are you loved or hated and do you know it? Can you be sure? Why does it matter to you if it does, my lady? Do you bother saying anything to the Too full of himself manager? Would it kill you to?

Why are you so nice to me? Is it because you're nice, or is it because you have to be? Is that smile genuine? Has years of the same smile done wonders for your acting skills or your skin? Would you care if I actually cared about your smile other than the business I am on the other side of the Time Delay Lock? Would you consider that human or none of my goddamn business?

I have to ask you, is your glamor a farce? Does the world turn gray and lonely each and every day at the end of the day or is it a world filled with vibrant colors and natural hues? Is your smile as ready when you head back home? Is it even half attempted even though you're tired? Or did it never exist in the first place?

Do you understand the world you live in? Do you need to be told about wonders or are you experiencing them? Are you happy or unhappy or numb? What are you lady? and Why?

 

19 comments. Share an Idea ]:

justchum said... 12 May 2008 at 01:41  

wow that was intense, thought provoking and moving. i love the use of like a bank clerk as an example. this post really made me think!
im glad you're back posting too!!

Commissioner said... 12 May 2008 at 01:59  

Interesting entry.

Anonymous said... 12 May 2008 at 14:27  

Hey this was really nice! I'd say one of your bests! :) Okay no more talking, I gotta go read it again!

Bharat said... 12 May 2008 at 17:47  

@againstthegrain:

I've never received so much praise... and so many adjectives :) thanks! and i'm staying for more..

@quarterpastseven:

haha, thank you... i may have been possessed while writing this, so it won't have been me :)

Doug Cloud said... 13 May 2008 at 10:04  

He he ... oh yeah, I know where that woman is. She's my bimbette co-worker. The convenience store clerk with the personality of a paper bag. The dead-pale Wal-Mart wench. Actually, she's a lot of women. Blame the TV, the video games, the movies. Or just a large number of really bad parents.

Akshay said... 13 May 2008 at 22:40  

This write up is indeed intense.....reading through ….all these questions can give goose bumps....I especially loved: Are you happy or unhappy or numb?

Tessa Rose said... 14 May 2008 at 02:32  

Loved this post. I occassionally read your stuff but never comment. I just especially liked the tone and intrigue of this one, and wanted to let you know. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. They're deeper than most.

Bharat said... 16 May 2008 at 01:11  

@dcloud: or maybe society... the list is never complete, nor is it ever the same... but someone's got to be the 'Wal-Mart wench' eh?

@akshay: thanks :) somehow I feel we're all become number about who we are and what we want... or maybe it was always the same and I'm just starting to notice..

@collegegirl: thanks for letting me know :) Means a lot.. hope you continue reading! :)

Anonymous said... 16 May 2008 at 01:54  

i've never seen so many questions in one blog lol now THAT'S what i call wondering a whole LOT!

jeff said... 16 May 2008 at 02:59  

Very weird blog but this could actually be used as an outline in creating a type of character in a story. Btw, you wrote in Noelia's blog "OT" we had a debate what you meant. What does it mean?

Arielle Fragassi said... 16 May 2008 at 19:36  

Now that school is out, I actually have time to work on my blog AND read other people's blogs again. Sorry for neglecting yours, you've been so faithful to mine.
I love this entry. It seems like you do some of the same thing I do: look at someone and wonder who they really are under than uniform and plastic smile. I'll be keeping up with you, so gogo update! :D

Sigourney said... 17 May 2008 at 03:22  

you're quite an observant wonderer, mr. bharat.

And p.s. I left a comment on your last, I must say, very captivating, blog.

tina said... 18 May 2008 at 11:33  

i'm tempted to ask if this was based on someone you actually saw... it seems like you spent a lot of time lined up at the bank teller and had some fun speculating :)

maliha's musings said... 19 May 2008 at 11:07  

wow i was blown away!!! you outdid yourself...AGain!lub

Unknown said... 19 May 2008 at 17:49  

my my, ur a writer m'boy.. i normally hate verses or paragraphs that go question after question, its become a style, but people never get it right, it always ends up cliched, fake, intrusive, or just plain boring.. youve dealt the cards in the right order with the right timing my friend, well done.

Anonymous said... 20 May 2008 at 03:43  

update update!!

Anonymous said... 20 May 2008 at 10:14  

ya i was just thinking myself, im so bored at work:(

Unknown said... 23 May 2008 at 15:24  

omg! brat ur amazing............ i dont think i know anyone who writes tat well with so much intensity n sincerity n its so thought-provoking.........u should write to chicken's soup!!!!...ya, dude or just start ur own chicken soup.........
my fav post yet....loved it=)=)=)

Shemley said... 26 May 2008 at 19:46  

I like the angle that you took on this...

Post a Comment