Walking along the lakefront stores opposite the boardwalk in St. Ignace, we passed a mannequin. A male mannequin. It was dressed in a suit. An old fashioned suit. For some reason, the store owner left its top hat upturned, slightly to the side and front of it, rather than on it’s head. The skin tone was gold. As we approached the mannequin, I looked at its face. Incredible detail. No model’s super-smooth skin here. Real pores. Accentuated by the gold color. Two steps past, I turned back for another look, and spoke to my companion. “That’s a live person.”
Then the mannequin bowed, and swept his hand toward us. I don’t know how long he had been standing there. The street did not have a lot of foot traffic, despite this being Saturday night of the peak weekend of the tourist season. I somehow got the impression that he was informing me that not many people realized that he was one of us, not a plastic doll. Perhaps only his skill at acting, hoping I would put the fiver I now realize he deserved, in his upturned hat. I’m known to be gullible. But I’m sorry I didn’t give him the fiver. Because when we walked back to the hotel after the fireworks, he wasn’t there.
So caught up in the magic of the moment, the beauty of the art, it was human to miss the component of performance and compensation. The regret is real.
The mime is there most Saturday evenings as part of the summer downtown entertainment schedule….I’m always amazed by him and the fact that he chooses to stand in front off my office. I really should get him to pass out my real estate flyers, lol…he must be a very patient man..
Thank you for your reply. I wonder how you found this post???
Please give him my compliments and maybe the link. Maybe he or you want to send me a photo of him???