Perspectives

This one a day character project is finding its channel.  So far, (knock wood), it hasn’t been difficult to discover someone waiting to be written about.  Some of them are quite endearing, at least to me.  I have a few favorites, some who seem very similar to people I know, and one who actually scares me.  I don’t visit him, but I do go and check on some of the others.

Funny thing, though, the ones I think who are special, whose qualities I find interesting or appealing or just odd, are not necessarily the “popular” people.  Judging by the status count on the site—which is really a horrible invention or a godsend, depending on which way the esteem pointer is swinging—the ones most interesting to others are the ones I think “Eh.”

The number one character in the bunch so far is the Fisherman, a composite of just about anyone with a rod that I know, including the stranger that wades into my river every couple of weeks.  He’s the owner of the Subaru.  A friend named Dave is the fly-tyer (tie-er?), and my dad, brothers, and I have all cast lines over the years.  My daughter sits on the wall and uses bread-balls for bait.  The little trout are quick, but she’s getting quicker.

The thing is, though, the character was just a construction for the analogy.  Leaning on Steve Ersinghaus’ story, I wanted to consider Possibility.  It could have been someone sitting on a bus without an actual destination.  Any stop will do.  The character didn’t even earn a name, he was so vague.  But people really like him.  Leslie, on the contrary, is the closest one to my own soul so far, and she’s not even on the charts.  Thankfully Julian has dropped off.  I would wonder about my visitors if they found him so entertaining.

I wonder what my life will be like when all 100 arrive?