MR. MAGOO
"Give this man satin undies, a dress, a sweater and a skirt, or even the lounging outfit he has on, and he's the happiest individual in the world. He can work better, think better. He can play better. And he can be more of a credit to his community and his government, because he is happy." -- From "Glen or Glenda" (1953) by Edward D. Wood Jr.
I recently had another "habituation" moment. There's this fella, a cross-dresser that you see around the area I live in. He's not what you would consider a particularly glamorous cross-dresser. I would call him an Ed Wood-style cross-dresser; he totally looks like a guy in a dress and a bad wig. He has 5 o'clock shadow and everything.
Kathy used to say that wherever she went, she would run into this guy, who she nicknamed "Mr. Magoo." (Don't ask me how she arrived at that name.) We'd run into him at the diner, the post office, the boardwalk. I think Kathy even saw him coming out of the ladies' fitting room at a mall department store once.
Kathy's been gone 20 months now. I hadn't thought about Mr. Magoo until I ran into him a couple of weeks ago. Seeing him made me very sad, very suddenly. I know Kathy would have turned to me and said, "I can't get away from this guy!" I think the fact that it took so long after her death for ME to run into him kind of proves her theory.
I recently had another "habituation" moment. There's this fella, a cross-dresser that you see around the area I live in. He's not what you would consider a particularly glamorous cross-dresser. I would call him an Ed Wood-style cross-dresser; he totally looks like a guy in a dress and a bad wig. He has 5 o'clock shadow and everything.
Kathy used to say that wherever she went, she would run into this guy, who she nicknamed "Mr. Magoo." (Don't ask me how she arrived at that name.) We'd run into him at the diner, the post office, the boardwalk. I think Kathy even saw him coming out of the ladies' fitting room at a mall department store once.
Kathy's been gone 20 months now. I hadn't thought about Mr. Magoo until I ran into him a couple of weeks ago. Seeing him made me very sad, very suddenly. I know Kathy would have turned to me and said, "I can't get away from this guy!" I think the fact that it took so long after her death for ME to run into him kind of proves her theory.
posted by Mark Voger at 3:25 PM
4 Comments:
Just like that, the vision of this guy wounds you in a way you hadn't thought could happen, because of a moment in time you shared with your lady.
It happens all the time for me, even ten years after my dad's passing.I still seize that moment, however painful, because of the association. Morbid? Masochistic? Maybe. At that moment, it's something that churns in my mind, bringing out something I hadn't thought of in years, associated with him. I don't have him. I'll take what I can get, good or bad, for now.
Margaret
what a weird way to be reminded of your wife. Uncanny indeed.
The thing about Kathy, she always had a way with words - nicknames - etc. Totally unique.
And guess what? On the boardwalk over the weekend, ANOTHER Mr. Magoo sighting! I guess he's back in my life to stay?
maybe her spirit is walking around WITH you - as it was she that continually ran into him..............I know that she is always in your thoughts.
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