The Famous “Smelly Mike”

Tuesday I did my obervation at Victory Market on Warren, near Southfield freeway.  While I was observing the customers, one customer was very ingteresting. When the male customer walked into the store, the female employee told me his background.

The man’s name was Mike. He looked like he was in his 30s, maybe late 30s. She told me had got into a car accident a while ago, which caused him to be mentally slower than his pre-accident years. She stated how he has a mother and sister who he lives with. His sister is a teacher, but I forget what his mother does. He chooses to only take a shower once a month. The employee exclaimed that when he smells real bad, she has to kick him out because his smell drives customers away. I asked her if she could smell him through the glass, she said one time she was able to.

I was able to meet Mike. While he was paying for his beer, the employee told him she liked his smile and told him to smile at me. When he smiled, only a few teeth were showing. He hardly had any teeth, let alone any front teeth. But, his smile was intriguing, comforting, and welcoming.

Throughout my observation, Mike came into the store about 5 times. Each time he left the store, he would smile at me and wave. He carried a rake in his right hand and had it lifted into the air. Late in the afternoon, I was able to see his mother and sister. The female employee told Mike’s mother that he had been in there 15 times and stated that he was bothering some of the employees, which was not true at all. When Mike came into the store, the female employee was rude to him by shouting “Hurry up”, “Get out”, “What do you want”, in harsh tones.

Even though “Smelly Mike” smells and people look at him with blank faces or even twisted faces; he is still interesting with a wonderful smile, and a past and a future.