304. the movie, “once”

keaton said, what a great movie.
i said, i liked it a lot. loved the music. i give it two eyes open with a little dampness.
keaton said, you were crying.
i said, no crying, just a tad watery.
she said, oh that’s so sweet.
i said, no it’s not. i’m not sweet. i’m more sour than sweet. look, you can’t tell anyone.
she asked, why not.
i said, because i’ve got a reputation in some circles as a tough guy, and this movie was way too mushy for a tough guy. it was a good mushy but too mushy all the same.
she said, you, a tough guy?
i said, yeah.
she said, well i can’t imagine any circles in which you are a tough guy.
i said, well, you should have seen me play roller hockey with the boys.
she said, but that was ten years ago and they were your son’s friends. they were like twelve years old and you were forty five.
i said, but they are a lot older now and if i laced them up today. believe you me, it would strike fear into their hearts.
keaton said, you’re hopeless.
i said, i’d call it a tough hopeless.
then she handed me a tissue, which i used to remove a dampness droplet running down my cheek. it was humid and tough guys sweat from the eye socket, okay!
(see #129)