King Kong? A Slightly Misunderstood T-Shirt
Looking up we connected eye-to-eye. I smiled. Grinning, she obviously knew something I did not.
by Bob Kerstetter
“I love that movie,” said the gal working the checkout.
The electronics store was busy for a weekday evening. I had dropped in, snatched a stack of blank DVDs and was vying for a quick exit. Her comment hiccuped my pace. She was clearly inspecting the bright letters standing out on my black T.
Movie? With the exception of a very specific Mickey Mouse cap, I never work for free as a roaming advertisement for Hollywood or Bollywood or anyone else seeking my cash for their self-aggrandizement. You want advertising on my shirt? Pay up…. As if that’s gonna happen! Only the round-eared mouse wearing a wizard hat receives my voluntary promo. Why? Not saying! But today, the T said something else.
Double checking—just to make sure—I glanced down, scanning the mix of Chinese and English written symbols—each the translation of the other.
What movie?
I had no idea.
Looking up we connected eye-to-eye. I lip-smiled. Grinning, she obviously knew something I did not.
She continued, “It’s so cool when the gorilla grabs up Ann and scales the high-rise. I love King Kong.”
King Kong Carries Off Ann
While fun—and sometimes rewarding—retail is a tiring business. On your feet all day, you strive to serve the diverse desires and needs of people in all types of physical and emotional conditions. By closing time you are most definitely worn down. Your mind goes slightly gimpy.
To hedge my laughter I squinted into my best, sincere, i-know-how-you-feel, all-crows-feet, duchenne smile. You can’t fake a duchenne. It’s real from your innermost being or it’s not duchenne. Duchenne emits empathy.
“Yeah! It is a great movie!” I replied. “You have a good evening. Be careful driving home.”
“Thanks,” she smiled back, “I will.”
The blocky letters on my T…
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Hong Kong from a T-Shirt
