Shiny Pants

Pam and I went to the farmers market in Goshen today. Goshen is about 10 miles from our house. They have a really nice farmer’s market in a complex of art related guilds. In the winter the farmers market is a little sparse but this time of year there are lots of things to see and buy because the gardens are producing again.

Today there was a girl about 4 or 5 and she had on shiny pants. I wanted to tell her that I liked her shiny pants. The little girl’s mom was looking at fresh produce on a table. Looking back now I think that she was studying the produce. Trying to decide whether to buy this or that. She was enamored with her choices.

As she stepped forward up to the table I said, “I like your pants”.

Because mom had stepped forward my view of the little girl was blocked. The mom looked at me a little confused, dismayed and some other look that I couldn’t put my finger on, but I was afraid it had something to do with calling the cops.

She looked at me and pointed to her rather plain jeans and said, “These pants?”

I imagined that scene where Al Pacino says, “You talkin’ to me!?!? You talkin’ to me?! Are YOU TALIN; TO ME?!” But instead it was this mom saying in the same tone, “You like THESE pants? These pants? You like THESE pants?”

Now I’m flustered and trying to keep my cool. Stuttering became a real possibility.

“No, the little girls pants.” I said.

Somehow the little girl had this figured all this out way before mom and she began to strike a pose showing off her glittery pants. She ran her hand up her leg which reoriented the large sparking flakes sewed onto the fabric. She was showing off her shiny pants.

Pam was finished looking at whatever it was she was looking at and stepped up next to me.

The combination the little girl understanding the situation and Pam suddenly standing beside me, took the pressure off.

The mom then said something about the glittery, shiny pants but I was on my way to somewhere else.

Anywhere else.