Sesame Smoke

There is a certain smoking lounge, in a certain mall, in a certain city, with a mural of Sesame Street characters on the wall. Elmo's on the bar stool in the corner. Grover is roller-skating along the sidewalk. Big Bird stands next to the stairs to his apartment. Oscar ad his trash can are on the opposite side of the steps. A bird is perched on the lightpost bearing said street's name. Ernie sits on the steps, and Burt is trying to avoid being hit by the roller-skating Grover.

All have a friendly smile. All wave happily at the mural's observer.

Let's not even talk about how remarkable it is for this mall to still have a smoking lounge in a city where carrying a pack of cigarettes in to a public building is a felony. Once-upon-a-time, this smoking lounge was a children's salon. The barber's chair and all the children are long gone, but the mural remains.

I've always wanted to put a cigarette into the waving hand of each sesame street character, and take a picture. It really would be a profound statement. And also, it would be funny. To me.

Did I already write a post about this? I can't remember.