Do you watch things that go on in your neighborhood? What about if you take the same route to work/school/etc? Well I am one of those people. I notice if something is different, odd, or just not right. Even if it’s not something huge and I can’t quite pick out the difference at first but I notice it.
I remember when I was like 14 years old I was at my neighborhoods community pool catching some rays on a hot summer day and I noticed a little boy walk into the pool area….all alone!! He looked like he had some kind of mental disability and was probably about the age of 3. He walked around for a minute or so and finally jumped in the 3 ft water. Instantly he started screaming and trying to tread water and before I knew it I was in the water dragging him to the 1ft (he was a chunky lil kiddo too–probably 60 lbs!). A few minutes later I was sitting with him making sure he was ok when a lady came running down the street screaming in panic…sure enough her lil boy and got out of the house w/out her knowledge (at the time me being a teenager I was thinking how do you not know your child is out!! but now that I have kids boy do I know how now!!). Luckily he was fine and all was good. But for some reason this lady was just happy that her boy was ok….she never thanked me but I now know sometimes you just can’t thank a person right away because all your worried about is your litte boy. And I’m ok with that.
In our neighborhood I kinda know when people get home from work and if somethings different I always wonder if they’re ok. Like my neighbor, she’s an older lady and when I don’t see her leave to run errands, see her out watering her yard, or picking up acorns (yes every acorn!) I worry….is she ok?!! Then at the end of the street I noticed something different in the yard….a flag with a picture of a dog on it. I know it wasn’t there before this one particular day. Does it mean they got a dog and thought he/she was cute enough to put on a flag in their garden or does it mean they just lost a best friend and wanted to remember him/her every day. I dunno but it sure makes me wonder.
Then the one thing that’s bugged me for a while (reason i’m writing this) is everyday I take my son to school (20 min drive) for almost 2 years now I’ve seen this old couple walking. And it’s a good 4 mile round trip walk they do btw! Anyway, I see them every day! Sometimes I see just him walking or just her walking but mostly they’re together or it’s just him walking. Now she doesn’t look to be in the greatest health so when she’s not walking I wonder if she’s ok. Then if days go on and he’s walking w/out her I really wonder. Sometimes I think maybe she has cancer. She’s frail looking just like my mom was and when she had chemo treatments she couldn’t do much of anything for a few days after so the thought of her having cancer kinda fit.
Well I hadn’t seen either of them for a while so I thought ok maybe they’re taking it easy for the holidays (it was around Christmas). Then after the first of the year we missed a week of school due to the flu so I obviously didn’t see them. As soon as we went back to school mid January I saw the old man walking….solo. Then I started to feel that thing….did she die?!! For weeks I didn’t see her. I really wanted to stop the car and ask….is your wife ok? But the few times we’ve made eye contact I’ve waved and got nothing in return…so I think…am I crazy?! I see these people every day…they’re a part of my life (I know…corny!!) why couldn’t they wave back. So the days went on, the weeks went on, and so did the months. In the mean time I started taking a new route to his school (construction cleared up and I found out it was faster). Then yesterday I take my old route for some reason and there it was! I saw them BOTH walking together!!! The smile it put on my face was just priceless i’m sure.
I know it’s probably weird but that’s who I am. I just notice things. I usually check out the window before bed to see what’s going on in the neighborhood….it’s just who I am.
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