It’s been a long summer at home for me. I’m not very good at too much down time and I made a mistake not planning more adventures and travel for this extra long break between school years. But that’s a blog for another time. My point is, I’ve had a lot of time on my hands and a lot of opportunity to wander a bit more mindfully in my own hood. I’m lucky that I have some really good friends locally and I recently took on a cat sitting gig for my bestie while he was out of town taking a well deserved holiday of his own. We live in reasonably close proximity to each other and I spent the better part of two weeks going back an forth between our apartments twice a day.
I am, by nature, a creature of habit. I walk the same routes, usually the most efficient for time, I visit the same places, enter the same door on the commuter train…yes, that’s me, I’m that guy. However, since this task of cat feeding and watering had me going back and forth a lot I decided to change it up and weave and wind my way along the streets between my place and his. It’s very interesting, weaving your way, finding a new path, all sorts of new things popped into view. All of a sudden it wasn’t so much a chore to be over and done with but, instead, a challenge to see something new each time I walked a new way there or home.
My hood is a full on disaster zone of construction this summer, my street is so noisy, dirty and hectic. It was a bit of a respite to walk up the hill, down quiet streets and along greener and calmer parkways. With all the rain through May and June, as well as much of July, gardens are lush and green and full of blooms. Bees are everywhere and there seem to be more birds and squirrels than most other years lately. People are out early, tending, watering and they were eager to share the pride of planting and creating beautiful spaces. There is something about digging in the dirt, especially if you’re a city dweller. Many of the gardens are “please help yourself but leave some for others and the bees”, which is such a true “neighborhood” sentiment, a bit old school, it harks a bit from another time or place. It’s how I imagine small towns in my parents generation might have been. A sharing and a caring for the community that sometimes gets lost in the big city.
People walk their dogs religiously around here, I learned. I passed many of the same people and pet many an adorable fluffy head the past two weeks. People with dog are friendly. They have things to say and laughs to share about their dog’s personality and daily demeanor. There is a group of gents that like to watch tennis at the park on lawn chairs with beer and snacks in the afternoon. Tennis players in cutoffs and metal T-shirts and bare feet. It’s like an East Van Wimbledon! Very much “my hood” and it makes me smile. They’ve started a “take one and replace one (if you are able)” drink station near the park entrance, keep people hydrated and give a little back. Very sweet. I popped in a couple Cokes on my last day and heard a communal, “Thank you” called out from the stands.
There are pockets of architecture from the 1910s and 20s in between 1980s walkups, alongside brand new, shiny glass and metal condos that I had no idea even existed until I wandered off my usual path. Up at the community center I would say hello to the morning security guard, keeping things safe, as the building had opened their doors to the public as a “cooling station” during the hot weather. One morning I was moved to see him with a bag full of Freezies, handing them out to some homeless neighbors and having a chat with them. Yes, he had to “move them along” but his humanity and caring moved me more than I can say. He was still doing his job but with kindness and compassion. I respect that.
And, here I am, at the end of this post, as always, wondering what my point was. I guess, in part, it’s that you don’t have to get on a plane and fly to exotic destinations to change your view or your perspective. Walk a different route, take a different path, do things a different way than you normally would, switch it up. I discovered a lot about my neighborhood in a short couple of weeks just walking a different route every day. I was moved, inspired and had a smile on my face upon my return to my apartment on most of those wanders. And a smile and inspiration is always a good thing in my books!
Comments
What a beautiful perspective of life all around you. You make me want to venture out more. Thank you.
Author
Much appreciated, Deanna.
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Author
Thanks for the good vibes.