on the spot

i was probably 7 or 8.  i was sitting on a concrete bench outside the safeway in oxon hill, maryland, waiting for my mother to finish grocery shopping.  my older brother matt and my cousin beth were also there, but they were sitting on a different bench across the concrete plaza, nearer to the chinese restaurant with the stagnant fountain full of pennies.  

there was a ballet studio in the same strip mall as the safeway.  a bunch of ballerinas came out after a class and headed across the plaza to where their mothers were waiting in cars in the parking lot, smoking cigarettes.  they were still wearing their pink tights and black leotards.  some of them had on lip gloss and blue eyeshadow, oxon hill-style, and they all had their hair pulled back and hairsprayed into "buns".  my brother and my cousin kept saying the word "buns" under their breath to each other as the dancers walked by, and laughing their heads off.  i was only laughing a little bit because i wasn't even allowed to be on the same bench with them.  sucks to be the youngest.

anyway, one dancer - older than my cousin, even - walked up to them, leaned down pretty close and asked them what they thought was so funny.  matt and beth got really quiet and said that they were laughing at what i was saying.  so the proud ballerina marched over to me and asked me what i thought was so funny.  i said: nothing.  she said:  nothing's funny?  i saw you laughing.  i said: i always laugh when i see something beautiful.

whatever, but it worked and she got out of my face and from that moment on, i knew that flattery will get you out of many a pinch.  right, tom?

the end.