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Current mood:  accomplished
“Hot Dog”
One of my personal favorite things to do in life is people watch; I have always been and still am intrigued by the things we see around us everyday if we just take the time to look. I personally enjoy finding an obscure vantage point facing a street, somewhere where I won’t be in the way. With a simple cup of coffee or water, I sit back and begin to watch. Like a real life movie happening on the biggest IMAX screen known to man. I imagine stories of the people’s lives and where they are from? Or what might have led them to Key West? Stereotyping? Maybe, but it’s harmless and fun. Some days are relatively simple, mundane or what some might call boring. Sometimes you see something you never expected……
Everyday in cities and towns around the world a small army of individuals take the busy street corners and prepare for their assault on the mass publics appetite. If I have seen one corner hotdog vender in my life, I have seen a million. Even in the quiet little island of Key West, we have a few of our own.
Last December, just before Christmas, I had the opportunity to quietly watch the pale faces of the northern tourist returning to the sunshine again from the bitter northern cold. From where I was that day was not more that fifty feet away one of those ever-familiar hot dog carts. One man doing his best to make a living, one sandwich at a time. As the tourists rolled by, uneventfully out of the corner of my eye, I spotted two women walking their dactsun dogs on a leash. Both dogs and their owners were wearing wild colorful costumes and seemed to be relishing in the attention they were getting. As to say that some pet owners go a little overboard is an understatement; I myself am guilty as well. I just dismissed them as big dog fans and continued to watch the rest of the street. As I looked back at the two wiener dogs, I noticed they were joined by some other dog enthusiasts, some walking their own personal hot dogs as well. They kept coming down the street in droves like little ants marching on a picnic. One after the other they came hands waiving, tails wagging, barking, ears flapping, tongues out, smiling and costumed. Dogs and owners of all shapes and sizes marched down the Duval street. Quite a sight.
To most people things I see in Key West on a daily basis seem strange or unusual and I myself will admit that I am jaded by a lot of it, but what can I say: it just normal everyday life here in paradise. However, this march of the dogs even caught me by surprise. I watched and enjoyed it only to find out that this particular group of individuals makes this march of the dogs every year. A nice tribute to a man and his or her best friend. I am sure there are other parades of such nature around the world, however this is the first one I had ever personally attended and I’m glad I did, even if by accident.
As I began to leave, still smiling from the warm feeling of what I had just witnessed, I happened to glance over at the hot dog vendor. Knowing he had just witnessed the same thing, unlike me, he was not smiling. He wore almost a disappointed look on his face. I didn’t understand why, until later, it hit me. No wonder he was disappointed, a giant herd of mouths and stomachs just walked right past him and his cart and nobody bought a hot dog.
8:00 PM
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