GLIMPSES

A seemingly insignificant event changes a man’s perspective in Stroud’s story.

In this brief work, readers meet Mr. B, an ambitious businessman with a “collegiate pedigree and natural charm” who “is a master of his craft, quickly rising the ranks in all he has done, his name elicits a level of excitement, people want to know him, they aspire to be him.” Impeccably dressed and undeniably confident, Mr. B strides through life. Then, one day, while en route to an important meeting he steps on a wad of chewed gum. Mr. B becomes fixated on the litterbug who committed this “dastardly deed” but he quickly realizes that he is unable to identify the perpetrator. He continues on his way in a state of “embarrassed rage.” Upon arrival at his workplace, Mr. B informs his colleagues that the meeting cannot start until “the substance that had derailed his entire morning” is fully removed from the sole of his shoes. While he waits for his shoes’ return from the cobbler, Mr. B uses binoculars to scan the street for any clues to the identity of the chewing gum offender. He declines an invitation for celebratory drinks, then spends his Saturday overthinking how he could have avoided stepping on the gum. “Against the backdrop of a life meticulously planned and controlled for, he was having trouble with the inherent randomness that had crept in,” the narrator explains. Mr. B returns to the crime scene, fascinated by the way the space, previously an “inconsequential in-between,” is now rich in detail and nuance. After witnessing a small child fail to deposit their chewed gum in a garbage can, Mr. B summons compassion. Noticing how other people react nonchalantly to stepping on gum, Mr. B reconsiders his rigid reaction and begins to explore the path of non-resistance.

Stroud grounds the plot with a sense of place, using vivid descriptions to set the scene, as when he describes a morning when “the air was crisp, the sun was shining, and the streets were abuzz with the usual cacophony of New York City sounds.” He paints a clear picture of his protagonist, noting how Mr. B “felt impenetrable in a light-blue, slimly tailored suit, a pressed white shirt, light brown monk-strap shoes, a matching leather belt, and an orange silk tie, his favorite from his large collection.” Other details, however, are missing, such as the industry Mr. B works for, as well as names and descriptions of his colleagues; other people in the story are referred to as simply “his Vice President” or “the subordinate.” Sometimes, the writing grows unnecessarily verbose; the author spends half a page on the moment when Mr. B steps on gum (“Lifting his foot he felt a pull from the offending substance as it used all of its material strength in an attempt to maintain the newly formed attachment between his loafer and the ground”). Mr. B’s transformation from a disgruntled boss to a contemplative seeker is rather abrupt—within a matter of days, Mr. B goes from a man incensed by a piece of gum on his shoes to someone who sits contentedly on a bench in the rain, completely at peace with the world.

A quirky tale about a man whose worldview gets turned upside down.