Give me 10 or 12 hours...

I'm at the 7/11 in our neighborhood every morning buying reasonably priced coffee. Two guys are at the coffee station, one a painter, one an Arlington County worker of some kind. The county guy wore heavy work shorts, work boots, and a faded gray t-shirt with a pocket holding a box of Marlboros. The painter wore grubby painter pants and had his big black sunglasses propped up on his head. Like all painters, he had a pony tail and three or four days' worth of stubble on his face.

"Thank God it's Friday. What are you doing this weekend" the painter asked the county guy.

County guy mumbled "I don't know." He spoke it to the counter top. He was very shy.

"It's gonna be a hot one," the painter said. "Better stay inside all day."

The county guy said "I can't."

"Why?" asked the painter.

"I can't stay indoors all weekend. Hate it."

"Ah, man," said the painter, "You need to get yourself a Playstation. You can kill 10 or 12 hours that way."

I think I swooned a little bit. 10 or 12 hours devoted just to playing video games? Such indulgence! Such luxury! I mean, give me 10 or 12 hours straight to do ANYTHING and I could...do anything. My wife and son are my world, and I'm finding that not only do I say I'll do anything for them, but I DO anything for them. (And I have--that's why I haven't been blogging much. ;-)) But 10 to 12 hours dedicated to a meaningless pursuit? Wow. Tempting. Impossible right now, but tempting.

When I came out of my reverie, painter and county guy were still stirring their coffees. (Painter had dumped over ten packets of sugar in his). I felt bad for this guy. He was probably my age or slightly younger, and his idea of time well spent was wasting half a day playing video games. I thought, I'm standing next to a slave... Then I started talking.

"You know," I said, "If I hadn't had a Nintendo in college, I'd be a richer man today."

Painter looked down at me (he was tall) as if wondering why I dared speak to him. But I have a Littleton, Colorado Police Department shirt on today, (from a former job), and it makes me look somewhat official. He grunted and went back to his coffee.

"Give me 10 or 12 hours and I'll make 500 bucks," I said, and went and paid for my coffee.

I like to think I made a difference today. ;-)