On The Record : Beholding beauty
Posted on Wednesday, October 1, 2008
This is a true story about a beautiful girl. I was enjoying a nice home-style cooked hamburger at a restaurant in Fort Smith late one summer evening, when this cute girl and her boyfriend came inside and sat in a booth across the room. She was probably 17-years-old, with blonde hair that came down to the middle of her back. She was dressed nice, and seemed to have a poise about her that just begged for people to look at her and take notice. She was about six-months away from a serious career in modeling. Her boyfriend looked like he was highly involved with high-school athletics of some sort, and was probably considered handsome by the girls in his class. The young couple, me and the waitress were the only people in the restaurant until the old, faded Lincoln Towncar rolled up to the front door. The elderly gentlemen got out first as I watched through the window, and retrieved his frail wife's walker from the trunk. The car was wearing Colorado license plates, and the couple really looked out of place on this side of the country so late at night. As the man helped her inside, the young couple by the door eyed them silently as they worked their way towards the back of the building to where the restrooms were located. Nearly done with my dinner, I sat quietly and read a local newspaper while listening to the young pair talk about the night's events, and their plans for the rest of the evening at the teenager hangout spot. The elderly couple came from the restrooms and sat near the front door, and just ordered some water for themselves. The lady began to sob and cry to her husband that she was sorry for having so much difficulty on the trip this time. He put his wrinkled arm around her and said he realized that it could be their last trip together to Alabama, and that he was willing to give her some extra time to make it. He told her how much he loved her, that he still liked spending time with her, and reminded the woman about the grandchildren they were traveling to visit. They finished their water, and walked slowly out to their car. It eased out of the parking lot, and headed towards the I-40 entrance. I was busy digging in my pocket for a tip to lay on the counter, when I happened to notice the young girl making faked crying noises towards her boyfriend in the far booth. "I can't make it this time," she whimpered before laughing out loud at the thought in spite of herself. She was imitating the elderly woman in a mocking way, and her friend was laughing hysterically at the sight. She jumped up out of the booth and began to mimic the woman and her walker making her way towards the door while her boyfriend stood in line before me to pay his bill - all while grinning and laughing. I stared at the young girl while he was getting his change, and her face changed suddenly before my eyes. No longer were the baby-blue eyes of this lovely teen gazing at me from across the room, but were now steel-grey orbs that lost their luster. Her long hair that had earlier been so nicely teased, became unkempt and tangled as I watched, and all her pimples and blemishes appeared vibrantly on her face. The young teen who had looked so beautiful earlier in the night, melted away into a mean and uncaring child. The beauty of her youth was gone before me in an instant and I saw her for what she truly was. I paid my tab, left a tip and walked to my car to head home to my family. My thoughts later that night were on that elderly couple and their trip into the deep south. I felt sorrow for them, but I felt even sorrier for that young "lady"who may never, ever understand … why the woman who was 60 years her senior was truly the "beautiful girl."
- Gary Burton is managing editor for the Herald-Leader. He can be contacted via e-mail at garyb @ nwanews. com.
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