Being half crazy can be enviable. Sometimes it can be a protection from insanity, which is not the same as being half crazy, and it can be a protection from normalcy, in the collective, community sense of a population of people who follow an abnormal collective, community behavior under a pretense of it being an acceptable collective, community form of normalcy, but in truth it is a behavior masking what has really become an acceptable, but not acknowledged, shift to insanity.

The Captain and The Kid were in Boston. Boston is OK. North to Gloucester and Rockport are better. We stopped in Boston on our way to visit a sea-faring mate. We left our sloop in Florida so we could help our mate who was moving a boat for a guy from Mass. to S. Florida.

"Let's check out Boston Commons."

"What's there?"

"Grass. Some lakes, or ponds I guess."

That was good enough for the Captain. Off we went, for a short side visit to Boston Commons. The Kid was right. Grass. Some ponds that locals call lakes. It is a peaceful place in a city. For a Captain out of water it was a nice enough stopover. We walked along a sidewalk toward some kind of gathering where I hoped we could get a cold drink.

"Rain tonight. 40, 50%. Rain for sure. Coming from the west. Its gonna rain."

Sitting just next to the walk sat a man who continuously called out the weather. No way can The Captain and The Kid pass by this character.

"Rain, you say?"

"Rain for sure. Partly cloudy now just look around. Partly cloudy now, but rain later. Rain last night. Rain this morning. Rain tonight."

As he was providing the forecast for us a family strolled by trying to pretend not to see our new friend.

"Hey, nice family. Hey nice family rain. Watch for rain."

The family quickly scattered, slightly bumping against one another as they hastened to escape the Weatherman. I tried to see his expression as he reacted to the family.

"Nice family. Hurry along its gonna rain."

This man had the mannerisms, the facial expressions, and the behavioral characteristics of what most would agree were those of an emotionally and mentally normal person. He made eye contact with people and addressed them according to his perception.

Two young women strolled by. "My lovelies its rain tonight."

A man with a dog. "Get him home. We may have thunder with rain tonight."

No matter who walked by he forecast rain, but did so by a personal report. When no one was nearby he would just be calling out for rain in the forecast.

"Do you come here all the time?"

"Won't be here later. Its gonna rain. Hey is that your young man?" He called out to a couple whose son had ran ahead of them. "You better get him ready for rain later."

We decided to continue to the gathering we had seen to get a drink. As we walked away we heard our Weatherman friend call after us. "Red sky this morning, sailor its gonna rain."

The Kid was not wearing any distinguishable sailing gear. I did have on boat shoes. We went to the gathering but found out it was a rally and no drinks.

We were getting close to our weather friend. He saw us coming and we could see he recognized us.

"Red Sox 6, Yankees 3. 6, 3. 6,3 Sox."

Later that night it showered. The Red Sox beat the Yankees. Our Weatherman/Sportscaster was probably home preparing for work the next day at his post in Boston Commons. Some people will avoid him. Most will refer to him as the crazy man and they will laugh at him. Boston will be busy with people rushing to work, rushing to lunch, rushing to cross town to rush to shopping or school, or to a meeting, or to try to catch up with their normal life. Our friend will be sitting in Boston Commons. He will watch people rush around being very busy being very busy.

This Captain will wonder what does the Weatherman/Sportscaster really see and really think about what goes on all around him. He will give the weather report and call out sports scores, and act half crazy. This Captain will envy him.

The Captain and The Kid