Odd encounter at the store...

[BTM]

I was at the store buying some food, when I stepped into another lane (the lane I was in was taking a long time, and another one had opened up.)  There was an elderly man in front of me, his back turned to me, and I said, without really looking at him, "Guess I'll move to this line."

He turned around and I saw he had these HUGE bumps all OVER his face.  I mean, I didn't count, but there had to be at least half a dozen.  When he turned back, I noticed he had them springing out of his neck as well.  I had NO idea what the hell they were...  don't think they were pimples or something, look a bit like, I dunno, giant  warts maybe (except don't warts usually have a "mushroom" type top?)

Anyway, all I could think of as I was waiting in line with this fellow was, "Try not to stare, try not to stare, try not to stare..." But I wanted to do was yell, "DAMN! What the hell are those?!" Or at least politely ask about them.  I mean, God knows, this guy can't possibly be aware he looks a bit like he has a dozen mis-formed pink marbles attached to his face.

Then another crazy though came to me... suppose a little kid was watching this same scene... I bet they'd say something, "Boy, mister, you must have touched a LOT of frogs!"

Hmm.. maybe I could use that for a scene in a story...

So, I waited, checked out my stuff, resisted saying something to the check out girl like, "Wow, did you see that guy?"

So, I dunno.. no one what that poor fellow had. Maybe it's something isn't curable, or at least, too expensive to deal with fully.. But still, it nags at my curiosity

[ER]

Clearly the victim of an early murder hornet encounter.

[The Burgomaster]

My wife and I were in a restaurant about 5 or 6 months ago and there was a guy who appeared to be in his mid 70s or so sitting in the booth across from us. The skin on his face was gray. Not a faint shade of gray. I'm talking GRAY. And his skin was sort of scaly and puffy. Never saw a condition like that before. I felt bad for the guy.