The Doritos Taco
Ladies and Gentleman, Step Right Up….
Come one, come all…
Have you ever seen a real live freak show?
Once upon a time, in a city far away…
We went to a carnival. We weren’t even married. We were young, fresh out of college. And, there we were… having a blast at the Broward County Fair. It’s a county fair in only the vaguest sense. The Broward County fair is more of a carnival, really. A carnival that’s all about the rides. The county fair part is more of an afterthought. So, there we are on this night many moons ago. Young and full of hope. We were hitting all the best rides. We were still breathless from the super fast double ferris wheel. (It’s the one that whips you around so fast. You feel lucky to be alive when you finally jump off.) And, we see a sign. 50 cents. See the smallest person in the world!
It’s not a freak show. No, it’s one of those free standing trailers. The sort of trailer that usually holds the world’s biggest steer or the world’s tiniest pony. But, no, this is a sign to see the smallest person in the world! How do you say no to that?
We pay our $1 and step in line. Instantly, we regret our choice when we see the look on the face of the guy two steps ahead of us. Suddenly, his face just drops. We look at each other. Puzzled and curious, we step forward and take our $1 look at the world’s smallest person. In retrospect, neither one of us knew what we were thinking. How wrong is it to pay money to gawk at another human being? It’s very wrong. And, it’s a moment we won’t forget. And, that we will live to regret. (as well we should)
There behind the wall of the trailer was a very small lady. Sitting behind a wall of the trailer that blocks her from view until you pay your money, you step forward and walk into her living space. She was sitting there watching tv. And, as we turn the corner, still smiling hesitantly, she looks up at us with tired, empty eyes. The smile is instantly wiped off of our faces.
We had just aged beyond our years at the blink of an eye.
We just paid $1 to gawk at a living human being. We were surely going to hell. And, we knew it.
Yes, sure it tastes good. It’s a giant dorito stuffed with all the usual suspects.
But, some things should go unseen… or in this case… untasted.
We feel dirty. Wicked and dirty.
