Talking to Strangers

I asked the man with a shot of mezcal in his hand if I could please take a picture of him in his hat. He was delighted to share.

In strained Spanish, I politely asked the man standing next to him, “Is the hat true.”

He replied, “Yes, he bitch,” in English.

The man with the hat owned the review and gleefully agreed.

I enjoy talking to strangers, especially playful ones equally willing to forgive my errors and engage in banter.

• What if we each had to wear our own scarlet A or bitch hat? What would you wear? Consider acne as is Sherman Alexie’s “Scarlet” (http://www.rattle.com/scarlet-by-sherman-alexie/) or a moonstone brooch and other adornments as in A.F. Thomas’s “A Woman’s Jewelry” (http://www.rattle.com/a-womans-jewelry-by-a-f-thomas/).