There’s an older gentleman I see when I’m out on my morning walkabouts in the lower Oakland/Piedmont hills. He sits on his front porch. I noticed him a couple of times, then started paying attention when I pass by. My schedule is inconsistent and he’s not always there, but, If he’s not, the empty chair is. Sometimes I’m on that side of the street, sometimes across the street. I usually smile in his direction but am not close enough to really make out his facial expressions. As I walk, and think, I sometimes wonder about his story. When I wonder about people’s stories, as I am prone to do, I’ll often create the stories which could be their reality. Of course, since I rarely to never meet these people, the mystery is “do I ever get it right?” Are there kernels of truth in the tapestries I weave from thin air?
That older gentleman on his porch inspired a story which has taken on a life of its own, and a momentum I’m not very accustomed to. The characters, and their relationships and interactions, are growing without a huge effort by me. It’s fun to be a part of it; and I feel blessed, any time life speaks through me. I’m sure when I put my butt in the chair and start committing substantial time to writing the scenes and dialogue, it will require huge effort. Most good and significant things in life do, don’t they?
Today the older gentleman was on his porch, and I was on that side of the street, and when I glanced up he smiled, and nodded, and gave a vigorous wave in my direction. I did the same and found myself smiling for awhile afterward. It almost seemed like he has noticed me, too, and maybe my walk down the hill is one of the activities in the world-beyond-the-porch by which he paces his life. See, there I go, making up stories again!
1 response so far ↓
1 Caveman // Sep 16, 2008 at 4:54 pm
I too often walk about, in the evening with my dog Daisy, with my wife, or alone. I have taken to looking up into the windows of my neighbors homes to get an idea of good color schemes, design ideas and what not. I often will wonder what motivates people to decorate such as they do. For example, I often pass by the home of a gentleman who has ripped all the wall out to the plaster clapboards in his downstairs (only?). He has then gone on to decorate the rooms in the usual fashion, a mirror on the large wall facing the window, a painting on the wall facing the door, pictures along the wall going up the stairwell etc. I find my mind often rushes in to speculate at to the rationale behind such decor. Similar to your exploration into the lives of the individuals you encounter on your strolls.
Leave a Comment