There’s an older guy who works at our local Starbucks. Not old, but I would guess late 40s, early 50s. I always feel bad for him, ’cause he seems so out of place. His 25-year-old-and-under coworkers clearly just barely tolerate him. He seems to screw up a lot. And every time he opens his mouth, the kids kind of roll their eyes at each other. I always feel a little sorry for him, although I can see how he’d be a thoroughly obnoxious presence to work with on a regular basis. Whenever I’m at Starbucks, I try to pay attention to him because he’s a pretty fascinating character.

Anyway, I just passed him on the street. He was wearing over-sized, baggy shorts and a tank top, and he was walking with a kid who appeared to be about 17. His hair had been shaved into a mohawk, a la Travis Bickle.

Something very strange is going on here, and I intend to get to the bottom of it.