i was spinning on my drop spindle while walking up broad street to my office. a man -- i cannot say he was a homeless man, but can say that he was a dirty man, waiting outside of the check cashing place, ostensibly for it to open -- looked at what i was doing and said, "i love seeing someone spin their own yarn!"
he knew what i was doing. that's more than i can say for most of philadelphia. most people seem to think that i'm just toying with some trendy new street combat weapon.
i told the man i was having a great time with it and he said, "my... ex... used to be a textiles major at university of the arts, back when it was PCA." he seemed a little reluctant to say this, perhaps because the memory of this long ago time, and his current situation, were widely separated. then he pantomimed the use of a loom.
it was a pleasant encounter. better than the occasional pasty-faced bunch of conventioneers in the park who will decide upon spotting me that this must be colonial f---ing williamsburg and that i owe them a demonstration.