Beige pants and white shirts

There’s a man that stands by the side of the road and we pass him, each day, as our dog takes us for a walk.

We only ever see his back as he stands, waiting patiently for the bus. His head is hairless, his shirt always white and pants always beige. He carries his backpack, probably full of lunch and papers, slung over his left shoulder and he stands with his feet slightly apart. I don’t think I’ve ever seen his face. Every day I consider saying “morning”, but I never do.

I can tell he knows we’re coming as the dog huffs and puffs, pulling me and LSH behind her and making them walk faster than they ever ordinarily would. He doesn’t say anything either, just slightly turns his head to the side and then returns it back to front and centre.

It’s been the same routine for months. We get up at the same time, walk at the same pace and pass him waiting for the same bus every day.

That is until today. This morning we still saw the back of a man’s head, but this head was covered with dark, thick, brown hair. He was also wearing a white shirt and beige pants. It was the same outfit, but a different guy. This made me think, quite logically: what if our man has was part of some space/time continuum experiment and is now 30 years younger?

He’s wearing the same daily uniform, his stance is the same, he wears his backpack in a similar fashion. The time space continuum has done him some favours, he looks good, a bit trendy, even if he is wearing chinos. Perhaps he works for a bank – wearing chinos, he’s unlikely to work for an advertising agency, but none-the-less the experiment seems to have been a roaring success.

According to appearances, only his hair is different. But there is something else. Without saying anything, he seems louder. His presence is louder, more assertive, more filled with exuberance and frenetic energy that those within two feet can feel. So without his saying anything, we can hear him.

I’d imagine his rocking up to work, saying “hello laydeez” with his new style and hair. No-one questions how odd it is that he looks younger, better, more alive than ever before. So he doesn’t tell them.  I wonder what he’s thinking, what he’s going to do with himself now that he has his time over again? Should he have wisdom or should he continue to make foolish decisions? What will he do with his 30s? What will he change? What will he keep the same?

Then I realise, if he had been in a time space continuum experiment and ended up 30 years younger, he wouldn’t be pootling off to work, by bus.

Hopefully the bald man who stands, quietly, by the side of the road waiting for his bus will be back tomorrow. Change to my morning routine appears to make me uncomfortable.