Beach Solitaire
by J.G. Fabiano
I used to feel bad for the lone beach patron sitting by his or herself on the long sandy beaches of Hampton. The other day, I joined their ranks and noticed that all these people did all day was watch other people. I decided to do the same. In fact, I not only became a people watcher that day, I made up a game that made my experience a bit more interesting and fun. I decided to play the, I wonder what that person does for a living game.
The game proceeds as follows. Of course, I made up my own rules. You sit by the ocean and watch people promenade before you. Then you pick out a particular individual and using his or her looks, guess what he or she does for a living. The first person I put in my minds eye was a middle-aged man whose width was beginning to catch up to his height. I assumed he lost his hair a few years earlier and he had a perpetually stern look on his face. He was standing alone only to be interrupted, every now and then, by an assumed sibling asking for whatever siblings ask for. My guess was an easy one. I guessed lawyer.
Not being all that sane, and having too much curiosity engraved in my spirit, I decided to subtly ask the gentleman what he did for a living. My God, I was right. He told me he was a lawyer out of New York. He then asked me why I was interested in knowing what he did. I told him that he looked familiar and that I was sorry that I interrupted him. He just turned his head and continued to stare into the sea. Something only a lawyer would do.
My next victim was a woman in her thirties or early forties who was seated in one of those low beach chairs. This allowed her feet to feel the perpetual frequency of waves. She was a bit overweight and had a book resting on her lap. For the little bit of time I observed her, she never opted to open the book. She was wearing a one-piece bathing suit and had on a large rimmed hat. Under the hat, she was wearing the kind of sunglasses that seemed to wrap around her entire head. This was another easy guess. I guessed elementary school teacher.
Once again, I got up the nerve to ask this individual what they did for a living. But, this time I opened the conversation by asking if she worked in the Sudbury School District. I dont know why I picked Sudbury. I dont know why I do a lot of things. She politely said no. Could I have been wrong? She then told me she worked as a third grade teacher in the Newton School District. I must have smiled because she gave me a bit of a queer look as I walked back to my chair. This game was becoming fun and I now knew that I was good at it.
My third game player was a very furry gentleman who looked like he was in his forties. He was wearing a black bathing suit. He had on a new baseball cap on with some letters of which I did not know what they stood for. He looked like he was chewing gum. I then assumed he was attempting to quit smoking. He didnt seem relaxed to me. He stood ankle deep in the ocean, but his eyes were continuously scanning the water. I dont think he was looking for anyone in particular. This was a tougher guess. I guessed fireman.
This time I opened up my conversation with a simple, How is your vacation going? At first he seemed to be ignoring me but then he looked down at me and said OK. I then asked if I knew him from the Lawrence Fire Department? He said no. He worked in Framingham. If this was a Jeopardy game I would easily become a five-time winner. He then asked me if I was a fireman? I told him no and our conversation stopped there.
I spent that entire afternoon guessing what people did in their lives. I guessed policeman with their intimidating gait, construction workers with their over-sized bellies, and accountants who were consistently pale. I no longer felt compassion for the loner on the beach. It was now obvious that they were having the time of their lives. Right before I was about to leave a young man of about twenty years of age asked me if I taught in New Hampshire. I wonder how he knew?
Jim Fabiano is a teacher and writer living in York, Maine