Very small northern town miles off the main highway. Old by American standards.
Small river runs through it. There's a low dam and an old wooden covered bridge.
Four bars, two churches, and a dollar store.
No supermarket or fast food.
A few pickups, motorcycles, and farm vehicles on the main street
My home going on five years. I have no previous identity history here.
I worked my last business identity in over 40 states in that time but not here.
Like my home base away from it all.
I have fairly new guy friend who lives a couple blocks away, overlooking the bars.
Long hair, scraggly short beard, tinted glasses. Same age as me.
He has no phone number and communicates thru a facebook app.
I have a phone but will not go on Facebook.
So we don't talk much.
But we do fine in person. Hadn't seen him since the shutdowns. Heard he's been laid off, like a lot of folks.
I went out walking past his place and emailed him. I swear sixty seconds later, he come right down. We talked for a llittle while, then he walked with me, all around town. Late afternoon. Felt good he didn't mind everyone seeing us. Not that they care.a hoot. We stood and talked outside the Wolf's Den, and guys by the parked bikes were noticing us, and me. I figure they know Ross since he hangs at that bar too. It's not like we were holding hands or acting romantic. But people talk, and more people here know me than I know them.
I wonder things like: Are they giving me a second look because I'm rare?
Making an assessment of my hotness (or opposite of hotness?
Anyway I broke social distancing and hugged him. He was cool and had instigated no more than a handshake.
I am some kind of awkward with guy handshakes.
I hugged him, so as not to be awkward. He was not unwilling and basically nothing but cool.
I think more often about moving away from here. A bigger/maybe newer town.
Somewhere with a different dancing to booze ratio..
But if I leave too soon, I may never know what I'm running away from.
