There is an older man on my street who at one point was very tall, perhaps 6’3″ or 6’4″. Now, with age and a stoop and a shuffle, he’s about 6′, which means he still towers over me. He walks every evening. I walked late the last week, so I saw him around the neighborhood. I’ve seen him all year off and on, but this week there was no denying we were on the same schedule. I was walking behind him on my way home (we live four houses apart) when I realized how tall he is. I’ve never been so close to him before.
“I’m not as fast as I used to be,” he said over his shoulder. “Feel free to pass me up.”
“I’m not in any hurry.”
I made it to my driveway and was aware of that awkward moment where two people who see each other all the time but don’t really know each other are about to part ways. I debated it for a second before I turned around and said, “Okay, see you tomorrow!”
He smiled and said, “Same time, same station.”
That left me with a smile. :)
Such a great story! I find that I run into the same man every time I go on a bike ride. He rides a modified bicycle that uses his hands instead of legs (of which he has neither), and is always offering to let me try it out. The most recent time he offered, he said he’d only do it if he was allowed to try mine out. I politely declined and said, “I’m pretty sure if we traded bikes right now we’d both be going home with broken ones!” He agreed, and we went on our own ways.
Damn…now I really want to go out on a bike ride. :-)
I might steal his line. I see lots of elderly people out walking in our neighborhood along with daily dog walkers. I see them enough to always do the friendly nod, but I don’t know them all by name ( there are a few though that I’ve walked along with & gotten to know). This is such a happy, happy story. <3
It’s so lovely to acknowledge a stranger, particularly an older one. Old folks often feel ‘invisible’. Moving story.
My sentiments exactly. For we will be in their shoes one day. When these kinds of connections with strangers occur, it helps to reinforce my faith in humanity.
I posted a while back about walking, after my appendectomy, to help build strength back. This summer it turned into hiking 27.7 km up to Sleep Giant (near Thunder Bay, Ontario). I was out walking the other day and thought about your photos and thought about what I would take pictures of. I was looking down, for a brief moment and then looked up as a mother deer and a baby deer walked past me. It stopped my heart and then started it back up with a woosh of happiness.
I love how such a simple concept can somehow seem so powerful and that you see the world from a different perspective now. I truly enjoy reading your blog. I get a good sense of who you are and I really like who you are. Thank you for sharing you!
Kristy
http://www.journeyintomotherhood.ca
I walk my dog many times a day. We have two retirement centers flanking our neighborhood and on nice days some of the more robust residents find their way into our neighborhood to walk. Which means I can pass them multiple times. I always greet them with my warmest smile and hello on the first pass. Sometimes there’s a little chit chat about Beaver (our dog). The second pass I can say “great day, right?” or something else polite and upbeat. Now I have a great phrase if I run into them a third time. Your story brought a smile to me and I hope in my encounters I can share that smile with others.
Awww. Love that!
Lovely story. I hope you learn more about him. You never know where you might find a new friend.