It’s a Small World and I Like It That Way

Today was a low-key day. I skipped my early yoga class to sleep in; got up at a ridiculous hour; had brunch; read my comments on TWT and commented on some Slices. My idea of a perfect morning.

The plan was for my daughter and I to take a walk to get in our exercise; then return home for our mid-afternoon cup of tea. Today is her day off; she works four days a week. We try to synchronize our schedules so we can spend some time together.

We took our usual walk in the park and were pleased that we had it all to ourselves, at least at the outset of our walk. The usual ducks were there and we talked about things of mutual interest and concern. (God, I’m gonna’ miss her whenever she decides to move on. Right now she can’t afford to.)

Suddenly one of the regulars appeared; a small man we call the Irishman, arrived in the park at just about his regular time. As we crossed paths, we said hello and commented on his lovely green Aran wool sweater. He tipped his hat and reminded us to turn our clocks ahead this weekend. We’ve had short conversations with him at other times, and think he might possibly be lonely since he’s always by himself so we make sure to exchange a bit of small talk.

As we were about to leave we spotted a pair of regulars: two women, one of whom I know through my earlier years as a patient at a physical therapy center where she was the principal office person. She is 82 and her companion is 81, but you’d never know either of them is a day over 70! They live in the same apartment complex and walk together at about the same time every day. We always stop for a quick chat.

There are a few other people we often run into in mid-afternoon, but they weren’t there today; probably a result of the nor’easter yesterday. As we left the park I mused aloud to my daughter: “You know, I think we’ve become part of the community of “regulars” (as in regular walkers in the park at a particular time). She agreed.

Although we live in a fairly large town, this small park has become a “centering” space for us; a small world we have grown very fond of. I’ve come to really enjoy these small encounters and this small community of walkers about whom I know very little but who I am very happy to greet every time we meet.  I hope they feel the same about us!