New York Minute 185 - Homeless Sightings

As I was walking home after a trip to the store, I glanced across the street to a spot where I’d seen a homeless man lurking earlier. He’s a regular in the neighborhood. I watch out for him because he’s creepy. He stares contemptuously at pedestrians and frequently makes nasty comments as they pass by. He was still there.

At the end of the next block, I glanced across the street and noticed a second homeless man standing beside a trash can. He was wearing a blue T-shirt and cheap green sweatpants. The clothes were clean, but something about their quality signaled that he was down and out.

He also seemed somewhat confused, for lack of a more clinical word. He was pulling his T-shirt up and down, exposing and then re-covering his portly belly. I reasoned that perhaps he was feeling overheated and needed to cool down, but the act of raising and lowering his shirt seemed to provide the man with a sense of fascination, like a small child exploring his growing body.

The man pulled his shirt up one more time and then suddenly, shockingly, pushed the waistband of his trousers down to his ankles exposing … everything.

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