Freak Fest

So, I'm not sure what about Liberty Park draws them in, but I have to admit that as much as I love walking there, it's a veritable freak fest. I mean, bless their hearts for being out in public, but....um, wow. Today as I was driving over there after work a lady passed in front of my car wearing a shirt that said, "Are you a side effect of my medication?" The problem, of course, was that this particular lady probably should never wear anything that could be applied to herself. It just draws attention to your freak flag, sweetheart. Keep it on the downlow.

Now, I'm sure my curiosity about the park is due in no small part to Biter *possibly* living there (obviously, I'm trying to pretend that's not actually the case, as evidenced by my constant use of the word possibly and apparent denial), but there are quite a few people who do seem to be living there. I wonder what happens there at night? Not that I'll ever go there after dark, because I'd like to continue living, but it does raise some interesting questions. Are they all friends? Is it a whole little community of "drifters?" Do they have families? Do they meet there every year at the same time? Where do they go in the winter?

The other day I actually got picked up on as I was walking around the park by some 55-year-old Mexican guy. As I went by, he grabbed my hand and said, "Nice to see you!" I spent the rest of my walk thinking, "Do I know him?" When I passed him again, he tried to compliment me by pointing out that I was sweating (well, duh, it was in the 90's and I was on my second mile). Here's a tip, guys - when trying to pick someone up, don't point out that they're SWEATING. I'm not sure why he thought that would win me over, but obviously he was mistaken.
I prefer to walk around the park listening to my iPod and pretending I'm in my own personal music video. That way everyone turns into characters in my video and not the random freaks they appear to be upon closer look. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure they're all sweet spirits and it's possible I'm judging them too harshly, but I only have a second to make a snap decision. I'm sure they judge me just as much for being the pink girl who dances around the park while singing along to her pink iPod. Obviously, I must be some sort of freak for sure! :)