C. and Scott July 29, 2007

We were all there for one thing: Pizza. East Side Pies rests on a shabby corner in East Austin, a screen door the only thing between it and the world. They arrived at the same time that we did. And so I took out my pen while W. went inside to pick up our order (curry base pizza with potatoes, broccoli and sausage....it was OFF THE CHAIN); she waited on the porch while her friend/partner went inside.

"Hi. I'm doing this word project...yadda yadda."

"Sure." and "I feel like if I'm going to write one word, it has to be..."

She sat with pen in hand. I was standing. It was almost a little awkward. I felt like I was staring intently, so I looked away. Back at the car, up at the ceiling. I didn't want to put her on the spot like that. I just wanted to get a word. But alas, the full weight of my request was weighing on me. Her friend/partner walked out.

"Can you give me a word?" she asked him.

"One word."

"Yeah."

"Uh - I don't know. Go!"

At which point she smiled.

"I thought of one."

So, she wrote "ideal" on my arm. And then offered her friend/partner the pen.

"You wanna write go on her arm?"

At which point, I could have taken authority and said "Nope, sorry - just one of you." but I was curious about the sense of licence and participation. And that she had invited him in to participate as a natural flow to the interaction. Now that's kinda cool.

"Sure."

And he wrote, too.

I introduced myself at the end. And what happened? I forgot her name - it's something great like Claudette or Celeste. Her friend/partner's name is Scott.

So, C and Scott thank you for my words!