fringe benefits

today i spent 2 hours at the pickens county employment security office. the name is of course a significant misnomer, everybody knows it as the unemployment office. i should say that i was not there to file for unemployment, though that thought inevitably crossed my mind dozens of times as i sat there. conclusions-

1-i love the upstate, and its people, god bless them. not only are they salt of the earth, in the welty or o'connor tradition, they are profoundly interesting, in the rash way, and of course too as real people.

2-the guy, with lost eyes telling the receptionist he couldn't wait any longer, because he had to take a friend to a court date.

3-the guy with 'redemption' tattooed across his arm, who spent his time gazing at everyone sitting in the room, as if looking for something within us.

4-the receptionist, who surprisingly, to me, seemed to genuinely love his job. where was he before?

5-the woman mumbling to herself outside, who upon her name being called, the caseworkers said to each other 'she's outside again isn't she?,' with smiles on their faces with meanings i couldnt quite place.

6-the latinos, who eagerly respond 'yes' when asked every question.

7-the man who stood next to his wife and said 'im here to sign up for unemployment' with the most overwhelming and true feeling of regret and failure hanging heavy in his words.