Bob; Ham & Cheese Guy

I find I am constantly analyzing people. Not criticizing; not being cruel. Simply trying to figure them out. What's even more than that is I find myself thinking about a stranger for hours on end. It's an odd thing to do, I know, but I can't help it. People intrigue me, and thinking about what lies beneath their physical being leaves me curious. I'm always wanting to know more, and realizing that I might never know more about some of the strangers that I see makes me both happy and dissatisfied, all at the same time.

I enjoy creating my own characteristics for strangers, making up their daily schedules and jobs. Imagining all the different possibilities of pieces that could make up their lives entertains me. The fact that every person is different from one another, and their lives are made up of completely different things, leaves me utterly fascinated. At the same time, I find myself slightly disappointed when thinking about the fact that I will most-likely never know the truth about the strangers I ponder about for so long.

The Mystery of "Bob; Ham & Cheese Guy"
"Bob," "Steve," or "Ham and Cheese guy" is a regular customer at Mancino's. He comes in every Monday and orders the exact same thing: An 8" Ham & Cheese on white, or wheat bread (he says to surprise him,) with no tomato. When he first started coming in and I would ask for a name for his order, he consistently told me his name was Steve. Until one day, I asked and he responded with "it doesn't matter," so I said "alright, I'll call you Bob." To this day, he prefers to go by Bob every single time he orders.

He always seems to be in a hurry, and sometimes he even comes of as rude. Occasionally, he'll seem humorous, and rarely-to-never does he seem friendly. He's in and out in 10 minutes or less, and never makes small-talk. Nevertheless, he interests me. Every time he comes in, I'm left with thoughts of: "Who is this guy?" "What does he do?" "I wonder what he's like?" "Is he married?" "Does he have kids?" "Is he really as grumpy as he always seems, is he happy?" "Why is he so serious? Does he ever lighten up?" "Is he comical?" "Is he an extrovert undercover, or is he really as quiet as he comes off as?"

I'll probably never receive answers to most, if not any of the questions I have about "Bob," and I guess that's okay. There's nothing wrong with having a little mystery in your life, and I find people-watching my most favored mystery of all.


Sunday, Februrary 7, UPDATE:
"Bob; Ham & Cheese Guy" is no longer restricted to only coming in on Mondays and last night, believe it or not, he ordered a pizza! Our conversation was slightly longer than normal as well. I feel we're making some progress :)