The Bright Side

© Stan Spire 2009


It’s one of those stupid memories – a trivial incident – that for some reason never fades away even after many years pass.

One sunny day I’m with some co-workers during lunchtime. We’re walking from a restaurant when I start to cross the street to the other side shaded by buildings. One co-worker objects, makes everyone to follow him.

He looks at me and says: “I want to stay on the sunny side of the street.” There was an extra meaning in his words. He didn’t like certain aspects of my personality that came through from working at the same shithole job.

I never dwelt on the negative. But I never ignored it either.

The other day an item in the newspaper triggered that stupid memory. The critical co-worker’s name was in the public record section. He was around the same age as me according to the obit.

That says a lot for walking on the sunny side of the street all the time.

Don’t forget to use sunblock lotion, pal.