Be human back

A few years ago, the City of Phoenix spent a billion dollars sending the I-10 underground and built a park above it. It’s relatively hidden, and too far uptown for people to take much notice, so it’s become a haven for the city’s homeless.

I was on a run today, cutting through the park to avoid bridges, running down the center of the concrete forum towards an expansive field when a man steps out in front of me, at least 6 foot 6, with his wide arms outstretched and says something to me I can’t quite understand.

I keep running, but slower, and, thinking he’s just another radical bumming around the park, stretch out my arms the same way to engage him.

He repeats himself, but I don’t catch the two words, and as I reach him, I slow to a lean. We’re looking directly in each other’s eyes, arms stretched as wide as they can be, the universal signal for a hug.

So I hug the man. And he hugs me back, my head on his chest. We disengage, and he smiles and lets out a laugh. We gaze knowingly at each other, and I give him something like the Buddy Christ point, and continue on my run, towards the field.

As I reach the field, I see a massive fence has been erected, with a castle archway and tents and stalls scattered across what now has become a proto-fairground. Some sort of renaissance fair is setting up for this weekend.  As I’m jogging towards the fence, it dawns on me.

He was saying “dead end”.

He was a security guard.

He stretched out his arms to prevent me from passing him.

And I responded the most awesome way ever, completely by accident.

And he was human back.