I used to work at PetCo. One lazy Friday afternoon, close to the end of my shift, this guy wanders in, with a friend. His friend has two dogs with him, the friend and the dogs walk to the back of the store to look at collars. The first guy wanders over to the Small Animals section. He's lookin' at the ferrets. I walk up and ask if I can help. He said he was just looking. He thought they were cute, but he was from California and they're illegal there. I got one out, let him hold it, talked about ferrets and what it takes to care for them, what they're like as they get older, yadda yadda yadda. I spent prolly a good 45 minutes just talking to the guy.
He looks at his watch, says he's gotta go. He pauses. He goes "Ya know, I'd totally buy one of these, but sometimes they search the tour bus when we get back into Cali." I said "Tour bus? Are you in a band?" He said. "yeah" all nonchalantly. I said "Which band?" He replies, "Tesla." And walks off.
It wasn't until he SAID it, that it occurred to me, and I finally recognized him, as the drummer for Tesla. One of my favorite bands.
The guy wasn't in costume. Wasn't wearing a mask. Wasn't trying to conceal who he was. It was because he was SO out of place, for me, in my head, that I totally assigned a different identity to this guy. I didn't see it as HIM until he pointed it out, and I just stood there. With my mouth open. Like a moron, and watched the drummer of Tesla meet back up with the Bass player and the Bass player's two dogs, and walk out of my PetCo in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
I kinda feel like this, for me, is why I can suspend my belief when Lois Lane looks at Superman and can't see Clark Kent.
He looks at his watch, says he's gotta go. He pauses. He goes "Ya know, I'd totally buy one of these, but sometimes they search the tour bus when we get back into Cali." I said "Tour bus? Are you in a band?" He said. "yeah" all nonchalantly. I said "Which band?" He replies, "Tesla." And walks off.
It wasn't until he SAID it, that it occurred to me, and I finally recognized him, as the drummer for Tesla. One of my favorite bands.
The guy wasn't in costume. Wasn't wearing a mask. Wasn't trying to conceal who he was. It was because he was SO out of place, for me, in my head, that I totally assigned a different identity to this guy. I didn't see it as HIM until he pointed it out, and I just stood there. With my mouth open. Like a moron, and watched the drummer of Tesla meet back up with the Bass player and the Bass player's two dogs, and walk out of my PetCo in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
I kinda feel like this, for me, is why I can suspend my belief when Lois Lane looks at Superman and can't see Clark Kent.
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