Voyeur (St. Peter's Square 5/27)

To my left stands a Swiss guard.  He knows that, on its own, his outfit would look ridiculous.  He is wearing a poofy blue and orange striped outfit, with a few red strips near the shoulders and a white collar.  However, it instead inspires a deep respect due to the incredible dedication of the people who war it.  In addition to the outfit, he also is wearing a black beret, tilted towards me.  Beneath the hat, his long, clean shaven face stares ahead at Pope Francis.  His entire life is devoted to the protection of this man.  He does not care how long the address will be, he will stand at attention for the entire length of it.  He is almost a statue, with his hands clasped together in front of him.  He is not visibly armed, but very well trained and incredibly ready to act in case of emergency. The heat does not bother him.  He even has trouble remembering if it ever did.  At one point during the address he is approached by a woman.  He breaks his composure to bend his head toward the woman in order to hear her.  He gives her directions very politely and sees her off before resuming his post, staring straight ahead at the pope.  He has lost count of the number of ceremonies he has watched.  They all blur together.  But he doesn’t care; the protection of the pope is all that matters.  The address will eventually end, which will inevitably result in commotion as people try to leave, but he will be ready. 

(10:30 at St. Peter's Square during a papal address)