The Slice: Creative thinkers often misunderstood

With the official end of summer just days away, it’s time to ask yourself one key question.

Did you, sometime over the course of the season, find yourself naked in the presence of a stranger?

OK, that’s not the only way to evaluate the quality of your summer. Far from it. But it does give me an excuse to share a story told by Slice reader Stan Hughes.

“Awhile ago some friends and I were sailing in the San Juan Islands. After a few days we landed at Friday Harbor ready for a break.

“They have public showers at the marina which sounded very welcoming, so I made a beeline for the building.

“After a pleasant shower, I realized I had forgotten to take a towel along. I couldn’t put my clothes back on because I was soaking wet, and I had no intention of running back to the boat in my birthday suit.”

What would you do? Well, here’s what Stan did.

“There were forced-air hand dryers by the sinks. So I looked around. Nobody was in sight. I pushed the button and gyrated my body in the warm air. Wouldn’t you know it, at that moment someone walked in.

“He looked at me wide-eyed, splayed his arms and said, ‘Whatever floats your boat, buddy,’ and hustled back out the door.

“I yelled, ‘It’s not what it looks like!’ but to no avail.

“I hoped I wouldn’t run into him later, but wasn’t sure he got a look at my face.”

Slice answer: I think, after this, we’ll call it a day on answers to the question about getting a baby to go to sleep. But this one seems like a good answer to close with.

“I was rocking and reading to my then 2-year-old grandson,” wrote Nora Nikkola, of Veradale. “Seeing that he was getting drowsy, I continued rocking and started singing some old lullaby songs when this sweet little chubby hand reached up and covered my mouth. Looking up at me with his big brown eyes, he said, ‘Don’t sing, Grammie, don’t sing.’ ”

Everybody’s a critic.

Today’s Slice question: Of all those with whom you come in contact, who has the coldest hands?