the lady with an untold story
August 24, 2010 12:03 PM Subscribe
There's a woman I see almost every time I head into Coolidge Corner in Brookline, Mass, dressed up in fancy clothing, wearing what looks like every piece of jewelry she owns, and a not slight amount of makeup. Who is she?
It seems like every time I go into this area, I see her - an older, heavy-set, dark-skinned lady, decked out to the nines, sitting on one of the benches between Zaftig's and Walgreens. If you're walking by, she will also often stare you down until you pass her. Whether a weekend morning or weekday evening, she's always there. I've tried to google her description, but can't come up with anything. But I'm super curious as to what her deal is.
I like to pretend that she's dressed up waiting for her long lost love, who maybe said he'd meet her at that intersection, many many years ago… but he never showed up. And still, she waits. Dressed up, and ready to go, but always waiting.
But I have no idea. Does anyone know?
It seems like every time I go into this area, I see her - an older, heavy-set, dark-skinned lady, decked out to the nines, sitting on one of the benches between Zaftig's and Walgreens. If you're walking by, she will also often stare you down until you pass her. Whether a weekend morning or weekday evening, she's always there. I've tried to google her description, but can't come up with anything. But I'm super curious as to what her deal is.
I like to pretend that she's dressed up waiting for her long lost love, who maybe said he'd meet her at that intersection, many many years ago… but he never showed up. And still, she waits. Dressed up, and ready to go, but always waiting.
But I have no idea. Does anyone know?
This post was deleted for the following reason: poster's request -- jessamyn
Call the reporter who covers that area at the local paper. They may know or be willing to do a human interest story.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 12:31 PM on August 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by JohnnyGunn at 12:31 PM on August 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
I disagree about it being "creepy" and "stalkerish".
She is hanging around in PUBLIC in a city. and drawing attention to herself. It's not 'creepy' to be curious and find out who she is.
To OP:
I don't remember seeing her. I've seen another woman several times that used to talk to me about community events and local politics. She was larger and seemed mentally ill. But I don't recall her being black or dark-skinned at all.
Try asking on Brookline/Boston blogs/forums and see if anyone knows who she is.
posted by KogeLiz at 12:38 PM on August 24, 2010 [2 favorites]
She is hanging around in PUBLIC in a city. and drawing attention to herself. It's not 'creepy' to be curious and find out who she is.
To OP:
I don't remember seeing her. I've seen another woman several times that used to talk to me about community events and local politics. She was larger and seemed mentally ill. But I don't recall her being black or dark-skinned at all.
Try asking on Brookline/Boston blogs/forums and see if anyone knows who she is.
posted by KogeLiz at 12:38 PM on August 24, 2010 [2 favorites]
Try the Boston Yelp forums... they're pretty helpful.
posted by KogeLiz at 12:43 PM on August 24, 2010
posted by KogeLiz at 12:43 PM on August 24, 2010
Response by poster: I meant no harm to the lady, and have no intention of being stalkerish and creepy. I have seen similar "who is he/she" questions posted on Ask Metafilter, so I felt it was ok to do the same. No gossip, just an inclination about strangers and people that I know, to know about them. Knowing that everybody has a story, and just because she dresses more eccentric than the norm, or has some interesting (to me) body language, she may very well live a pretty average life, and the soccer mom in the Trader Joe's across the street might have a more wild life. It's just a question about someone I regularly see in public. I like to know more about people that I come across - not necessarily to invade their private life, but to give credence to who they are and how they came to be. That is all.
posted by raztaj at 1:00 PM on August 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by raztaj at 1:00 PM on August 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
You should try talking to her if you'd like to know what her story is. She's a real person, not a character in a novel. Plus: if she's waiting everyday for her long lost love she's probably incredibly lonely.
posted by Tha Race Card at 1:12 PM on August 24, 2010
posted by Tha Race Card at 1:12 PM on August 24, 2010
Try searching for groups on facebook.
There was a person of some local notoriety in my college town. He was an engineering post-doc who would walk around whistling, very well, and very loudly. He seemed to have a set route he would walk. Just about every afternoon he'd walk on the sidewalk under my studio building, where the windows were frequently open, and I could hear him pass. He'd sometimes sit under a tree on the large common field in the center of campus, and just whistle. Just about everyone had heard or seen him, and eventually people started calling him The Whistler. Someone started a facebook group about him, just curious as to who he was, and why he whistled.
He was a minor celebrity, I remember one friend excitedly telling me "I met The Whistler! He was at the IEEE meeting!" Eventually he found out about the facebook group and the name people had for him. He embraced it, and got a shirt printed saying "The Whistler".
So, while I understand that to some people this seems creepy, the Brookline Lady might not find it as creepy. Either way, having a conversation with her is probably the best thing to do. I know New Englanders have taboos about saying hello to strangers, but you could try it some time.
posted by fontophilic at 1:14 PM on August 24, 2010
There was a person of some local notoriety in my college town. He was an engineering post-doc who would walk around whistling, very well, and very loudly. He seemed to have a set route he would walk. Just about every afternoon he'd walk on the sidewalk under my studio building, where the windows were frequently open, and I could hear him pass. He'd sometimes sit under a tree on the large common field in the center of campus, and just whistle. Just about everyone had heard or seen him, and eventually people started calling him The Whistler. Someone started a facebook group about him, just curious as to who he was, and why he whistled.
He was a minor celebrity, I remember one friend excitedly telling me "I met The Whistler! He was at the IEEE meeting!" Eventually he found out about the facebook group and the name people had for him. He embraced it, and got a shirt printed saying "The Whistler".
So, while I understand that to some people this seems creepy, the Brookline Lady might not find it as creepy. Either way, having a conversation with her is probably the best thing to do. I know New Englanders have taboos about saying hello to strangers, but you could try it some time.
posted by fontophilic at 1:14 PM on August 24, 2010
If you wouldn't be comfortable having MetaFilter users post your personal information on here, then don't expect people to post someone else's just to sate your curiosity
What personal information is the OP posting?
You guys would all have a breakdown if you saw Craigslist "Missed Connections"
posted by KogeLiz at 1:25 PM on August 24, 2010 [5 favorites]
What personal information is the OP posting?
You guys would all have a breakdown if you saw Craigslist "Missed Connections"
posted by KogeLiz at 1:25 PM on August 24, 2010 [5 favorites]
I'm not seeing the creepy or stalkerish behavior in wondering about this woman. I reckon a lot of people wondered about Silver Lake's Walking Man as well.
Nthing to poke around in your local press/yelp fora, where you might find more info. But if you're not too shy, and if she seems approachable, start a conversation with her.
posted by rtha at 1:27 PM on August 24, 2010
Nthing to poke around in your local press/yelp fora, where you might find more info. But if you're not too shy, and if she seems approachable, start a conversation with her.
posted by rtha at 1:27 PM on August 24, 2010
Response by poster: Despite the intimidating stare-down beginning from about 40 feet away until you pass, I do try to crack a smile when I see her, and hope to strike up conversation with her one day.
I do wonder though, if these questions solicit different responses, depending on if the "who are they" question is about a man or a woman. I know I've seen at least a couple of questions like this on the green - inquiring about men. People are definitely less likely to "protect" the stranger men. As if a woman needs more protection, or needs to be left alone, because she's too delicate for some curiosity about their public presence. The double standard is interesting. In any case, I've asked the mods to delete this.
posted by raztaj at 1:29 PM on August 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
I do wonder though, if these questions solicit different responses, depending on if the "who are they" question is about a man or a woman. I know I've seen at least a couple of questions like this on the green - inquiring about men. People are definitely less likely to "protect" the stranger men. As if a woman needs more protection, or needs to be left alone, because she's too delicate for some curiosity about their public presence. The double standard is interesting. In any case, I've asked the mods to delete this.
posted by raztaj at 1:29 PM on August 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
I nth asking a reporter at a local paper. I don't think you should feel pressured to talk to strangers just because you're curious about them.
posted by anniecat at 1:40 PM on August 24, 2010
posted by anniecat at 1:40 PM on August 24, 2010
If you want to know someone the best thing to do is to smile and say hi. Most lonely people like someone to talk to and if you give them that opportunity they will tell you who they are. I think it is great to talk to strangers and meet different people.
Talk to her and tell us about her.
posted by JJ86 at 1:41 PM on August 24, 2010
Talk to her and tell us about her.
posted by JJ86 at 1:41 PM on August 24, 2010
Mod note: A few comments removed. Please take the argumentative stuff elsewhere and skip the vague or jokey guess stuff.
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:43 PM on August 24, 2010
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:43 PM on August 24, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
I'd see her at the Panera's a lot. She'd always smile and say something to me about Baby Zizzle running around. She seemed really nice, but also alone.
Now we live in Salem, so I don't see her any more. It's odd the people you leave behind when you move, the fixtures in your life that change.....
posted by zizzle at 12:11 PM on August 24, 2010