..and I know what it means!

The counter at two boots video has a couple of magazine racks. the one on the left has copies of the latest Timeout NY. the one on the right has issues of some independant publication called "The Shadow" where the A in the shadow is the symbol for anarchy. The the front of the paper has a picture of George W. giving the finger and the headline, Bush to US, 'Up Yours'.

I dont know how often new issues of The Shadow get printed, maybe it was a one time thing for the elections, but this pile has been sitting in the rack on the counter for several months now. Maybe it's still up because people consider the headline to still be relevant.

I was standing on the far right side of the counter watching my friends desperately try to deal with the rush of movie renters on this snowy day. I was behind the stack of magazines, and even though I couldnt see them, I knew they were there. If you know me, you know Ive spent a lot of time in the store.

A mother was checking out movies while her four kids hovered around the counter. They were all bundled up in their snow-gear. The daughter must have been around nine or ten and the two younger boys were probably around seven or eight. The fourth kid was younger and didnt really have much of a role in my story.

One of the boys saw the picture of Bush and said to the other boy:
"It's Bush! Don't look at him."

Both boys turned their backs to the picture. The girl then read the headline out loud:

Girl: "Bush to US, Up Yours"
Girl: *gasp*

The boys turned around to take a closer look at the picture.

Boy1: He's holding up his middle finger!
Girl: Hey! That's not nice! Curses to you Bush!

Drea was behind the counter and by this time we were both trying hard not to laugh.

One of the boys sees me laughing and turns to me and says:

Boy1: He's holding up his middle finger, like this!" and he holds up his hand. But he's wearing a mitten that's attached to his jacket.

Me: I can't see which finger you're holding up!"

Boy1: Oh but then ill have to take off my jacket and mitten"

Me: Ok Ok, you dont have to do that, I know which finger you're holding up. I can see it through your mitten. Yeah that's not very cool that he's holding up the middle finger."

Boy1: Yeah. and I know what it means! It means the F-word."

We probably could have spent the rest of the afternoon talking about politics but by then the kids' mother had completed her transaction at the counter. She smiled at me on the way out and then shuffled her 4 kids out of the store.