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<TITLE>New THOUGHT PROVOKER #138- In a Crowded Place</TITLE>
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<P ALIGN=CENTER><B><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">Deafblind listers</FONT></B></P>
<P ALIGN=CENTER><B><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">RE: In a Crowded Place </FONT></B></P>
<P><B><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">My newest THOUGHT PROVOKER is all about being able to function in a crowded and/or noisy environment. I'm looking for suggestions, what would you suggest? If you have not read the PROVOKER, it follows. Recall that I collect responses and post them upon my web site for all the WWW to read and learn from and that URL is- </FONT></B><A HREF="http://thoughtprovoker.info/"><B><U><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Times New Roman">Http://thoughtprovoker.info</FONT></U></B></A><B><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"> If you wish to receive THOUGHT PROVOKERS sent directly to you, just write me and ask, at- newmanrl@cox.net </FONT></B></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial">THOUGHT PROVOKER 138 </FONT>
<BR><FONT FACE="Arial">In a Crowded Place</FONT>
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<P><FONT FACE="Arial">“It’s been a hard day’s night ---“ The familiar lyrics rode the crest of the wave of sound washing over me as I opened the door to the hotel bar and I knew too well what the next hour or so would bring in terms of communication. Sigh. The event was my 40-year class reunion. I was here to find my party, eight guys, my remaining teammates from our senior year champion wrestling team. We’d start out in the bar and later move to the larger gathering.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial">Inside, weaving my way among the scattered tables, I moved from one island of sound to another, I figure my guys will grab me when I am spotted. Chances of me finding them in this environment are slim to none. The crowd is fluid; people standing, sitting, walking about, so the auditory stimuli are coming from every direction. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial">“Robby boy!” the booming, beer-soaked voice directed down upon the top of my head had to be Harley, the former heavyweight wrestler, sweeping me up into his, now, even weightier embrace. “Com’on, little --- we’re over here in ---. Let’s get you a --- one.” I didn’t need to have heard all he said, his firm grip and drink happy mood carried me along.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial">“Rob!” “Hey Bat Man how yaa ---“ “Bat Ma --- oh invincible one!” A chorus of greetings met me at the table. (All of us had special nicknames back in the day. Bat Man had been mine but I’d not heard it spoken aloud for years. Harley had been Elephant Man.”)</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial">Seated next to Thomas (alias Spider Man), a friend I’d not seen in person for nearly 20 years, I asked, “So Tom, how’s life?” Leaning forward, positioning my ear to be at the best angle to hear his responses.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial">“Hey Rob,” Super Man’s voice projected across the table. It was Jeff, the once team captain. “The lady wants to take your order.” And thinking she was behind, between Tom and me (where I had felt something touch me), I voiced my order.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial">“Rob --- “ Jeff yelled again, “she’s over here! Ha, and I think she read your lips --- a draw, right?” I gave him a thumbs up.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial">Getting back to Tom, I said, “Whatever happened to that motorcycle you had?” Not getting an answer, leaning closer I could tell he was engaged to someone off to his right. Turning to my left to talk to John, the once smallest guy on the team, nicknamed Invisible Man, I found him laughing it up with people at his end of the table.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial">After a couple of rounds of drinks and several broken conversations with my former teammates, consensus came to move ourselves to the banquet room. We made a short stop at that room’s cash bar; then, glass in hand, I started mixing and mingling prior to sitting down to dinner and speeches.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial">The music playing in the banquet room came from a string quartet and wasn’t going to be a problem. The room was large, had high ceilings, a carpeted floor, and was set up with enough round tables to seat 1,000. Right off I ran into a former girlfriend; we hugged and got caught up. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial">Free again, I went on the prowl for other old friends. I used the location of the music as a point of reference, moving through the scattering of tables, listening for any voice I recognized or for someone to yell out my name. There were small groups standing and talking or already seated and visiting. I’d catch a word or phrase as I passed, even stopping a few times to insert myself into the group’s space only to find that I didn’t know them. People, people everywhere, and no one I know to be found anywhere. Not even finding my old wrestling buddies, I got more assertive, stopping the next person walking by. “Hi, could I ask if you have seen ---” and this guy answers, “May I get you another drink, sir? I’m one of the banquet staff.” </FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">President NFB Writers' Division</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Robert Leslie Newman</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Email- newmanrl@cox.net</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Division Website- </FONT>
<BR><A HREF="Http://www.nfb-writers-division.org"><U><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Http://www.nfb-writers-division.org</FONT></U></A><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial"> </FONT>
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