Sesame Street - People in Your Neighborhood

Two Old Ladies and other true stories from First Street

Every morning two old ladies walk by our house. I’m sure they are sisters. One can’t see too well cause she is bent over, her sister, always has her hand linked through her arm. Surprisingly, they walk quite fast. I don’t know where they live, I’m assuming they live at one of the nearby older folks home. Or maybe they still live by themselves. It makes me wonder about their lives. Were they married? Do they have children? I often see the one sister walk by Sunday mornings, dressed up, carrying her Bible. Whether she is off to church or coming home from church I don’t know. Sometimes I even see them driving in their car around town. I’m sure if I delve hard enough into knowing them, it wouldn’t be too hard. After all, I do live in Steinbach! Somehow there is an allure in not knowing who they really are, sometimes, I would love to dash out there and ask their life story. For now though, I’m comforted they walk by my house.

Others walk/ride by my house that I’ve formed a silent relationship with.

The guy who walks around town who has lost over 200 pounds. He walks by my house. I’ve talked to him and when I’m outside he always has a friendly wave and a big hello. I admire him. I also know he struggles to walk some days. I understand that, and sympathize and cheer him on even more. Sometimes in the wee morning hours when I can’t sleep, I look out my bedroom window. Sometimes I see this man walking by at 4:00am. I wonder, can he not sleep either and he just decided to go walking then? Or is he naturally a very early morning riser. I don’t know. But it sure is good to see his ambition. Sometimes I think that’s where my ambition goes, he walks by with such gumption, he took mine with him on his power walk by my house. No wonder my ambition leaves me in the morning!

There’s another guy who walks by my house. He ALWAYS looks happy. He’s always got a friendly wave and a big grin. I know he lives just down the street. I like watching him come home for work, walking by with his big grin and strides to match that big grin to boot.

Another guy walks by everyday between 1:15 and 2:00. He carries a backpack. He works at ACL, I think. He wears the same thing, be it HOT summer or frigid winter. He walks by, never in a hurry. Years ago, when I helped my mom manage a restaurant, he came in for hot chocolate almost everyday. I don’t know his name, nor where he lives. I have never seen him with anyone. Some days when it’s been so cold and school has been canceled, he walks by, jacket, no mitts, no toque, no boots. Always the same. Sometimes I want to yell out my window “Aren’t you cold?” Somehow though, I don’t think this man would welcome that. He is friendly though and will always smile and say hi to me if I am outside. Oh yeah, he never walks on the sidewalk.

When I sat down to write this post there were many other folks who come to my mind who walk or ride bike past my house,. Some I know, others I don’t. Like I mentioned before, I’ve formed a silent relationship with some of these people and I sometimes actually wait for them to walk by so breath a sigh of relief.

Remember this song from Sesame Street? “
Who are the people in your neighbor hood? In your neighborhood, in your neeeeiiiiiiighboooooour hood?” Oh, who are the people in your neighborhood, the people that you meet each day!”
“Well, they're the people that you meet
When you're walking down the street
They're the people that you meet each day”

This comes to my mind when I write this post.

Who are the people you meet everyday?