I had a slightly frightening encounter yesterday. I was in Barnes & Noble (I'm in a bookstore at least once a day it seems), looking the back cover of an edition of Ethan Frome when I man approached me. He was obviously homeless (though thankfully recently showered), and quite mute. He was able to grunt, and made use of rudimentary signs. He carried a digital camera in one hand, and was pointing at it (something is wrong with society when homeless people have digital gadgets but no place to live).

"Oh, you want me to take your picture?" I asked. Grunt, grunt. Then he nodded. Then he moved in and put his arm around me, the other hand extended with the camera, and before I knew it, he had taken a picture of us together. I must have looked like a deer in headlights. He gave me the thumbs up, then grunted, then snapped one of me alone (my jaw agape). He thumbsed-up again, then moved toward me (I was quite frozen), and ever so gently kissed me on the cheek. Then he put his hand over his heart, made a thumping motion, then pointed at me. Thankfully he left me alone after that.