The Amazing Adventures of Cat Prentis!

On the subway this morning, my head is buried in my book, but in my peripheral I can see a man flitting back and forth among my fellow straphangers and handing over sheets of paper with a note he’s scribbled. Now, I’m thinking it’s most likely a plea for spare change. From time to time, you get that—little notecards (sometimes from Vistaprint) with a few sentences about the person’s situation and an ask for whatever you can spare.

Some people are fanatically opposed to giving over spare change. Personally, if I’ve got a nickel (and no, I don’t care if said nickel going to booze or whathaveyou), you’re welcome to it. A woman on the subway yelled at me once for it, telling me she gives to charity, she shouldn’t have to give on the subway and what I was doing was encouraging “them.” That’s one way to look at, but to me, if the poor bastard has sunk so low that s/he’s begging for change, who I am to quibble?

I’m getting off track. So, this dude, the one flitting around—he comes up next to me (and again, I’m reading and flashing my sub-rosa NYC call-sign that reads “DO NOT ENGAGE WITH ME”) and starts to scribble, looking over at me, then down at his pad, over, then down, one then down.

Oh…the hell is this? I think. My stop comes and I stand up and the dude with the pad and pencil gives me…

Isn’t that a lovely way to start the day? On the botom, there was note encouraging tipping, which I did with the two dollars I had in my pocket. That said, however, this portrait of yours truly makes me think a bit of a grown-up Tintin who’s gone to seed.

Now, when it comes to the comic—the spell Cat’s reciting is hardly new. Do any sharp-eyed readers know what I’m quoting (or stealing).

Happy Wednesday, Dear Reader!

~cpd