Let it Loose

One of my part-time day jobs is selling tickets in the box office of a local theater. This is a generally pretty low key job, with the occasional downside of exposure to a cranky or surly customer. The people I work with are fabulous, smart, wonderful, talented women. It is, for the most part, a good thing.

Well, a moment ago a customer actually came up to the window to make a purchase (most of the business that we do this time of year happens over the phone). She was pushing her child in a stroller - a beautiful little girl, maybe 9-12 months old, and just as we finished up the transaction, the little one opened up her perfect little mouth and let out a high pitched scream. No apparent reason. Unphased, she did it again a moment later.

Mom and I both looked at her, surprised. Was she telling us something? Was she hungry/tired/sad/cold? Did she maybe like the way it resonated within the lobby's stone walls?

Or did she just feel like screaming?

And then I thought - god, wouldn't it be great if that was socially acceptable among the grown-up world to let out a scream when the urge strikes. I would be doing quite a bit of it these days. I do think it would make me feel better.

But I suspect my co-workers would get tired of it quickly.

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.