It is raining those gentle, but heavy, drops of rain that make me wonder if a macho god is drooling over one too many cleavage-emphasizing sundresses. Because a macho god forever chained to the heavens could get very lonely, no? And looking down all those dresses from so high, dresses worn by women who claim to love Him, could drive Him crazy with longing, no?
At any rate, it begins to rain. From the sandwich shop window, I watch people hurry by. Kids scamper beside parents. A lot of people forgot their umbrellas and don’t have to look their best anyway. To hell with it - they pause to window shop. A homeless woman stands against the wall of the store beside the sandwich shop. I’ve passed it hundreds of times, but couldn’t tell you what it sells. Overpriced candles maybe or custom frames. I walk by and never notice. A lot of people walk by and never notice.
The woman is in my line of vision, if I choose to look at her. For awhile I don’t. I look at the sidewalk and I wonder where the people who live near me, whom I don’t know, are going. I wonder how they afford to live here, how they got here. Shallow as it is, sometimes I wonder what I would choose if I had to take one clothing item each woman is wearing.
A woman is laughing and shrieking with her young daughter. They run hand in hand. They partially cover themselves with large, borrowed raincoats. The little girl’s drags the ground. I’m not sure why they don’t put the coats on, but they don’t. If they did, no one would see the dresses. The mom is svelte in red jersey, the little girl is in something floral. The little girl may never be as beautiful as her mom, and maybe both of them already know this.
They run into the homeless woman, because they aren’t looking. The street is theirs; they don’t stop before the collision and there are no apologies. Nothing is said. They keep running and cross the street and another and another. And later they are home and dry.
The lady is not, cannot, will not be. I noticed she sounds hoarse with grief or bronchitis. Maybe both. And she’s standing, trying to avoid the drops. She asks for help and no one notices her or the store she stands in front of. Thankfully, I see two men stop and give her some money. When I walk out, I give her a dollar. She seems genuinely surprised I’ve noticed her. I decide her voice is hoarse with grief and bronchitis.
I realize I’m the saddest I’ve been in a long time.
I enjoyed reading your entry… Sometimes people are soo caught up in our own lives we tend to forget that we are living amongst a world of “wild animals” including ourselves. We all have emotions(some more than others), and at times even those of us which are more considerate may not even care to make a connection or even be particularly nice to another individual because of our own assumptions (Maybe she is a drug addict,etc). Its sad but we live in a very cold world, but it is full of some very beautiful, captivating, and warm people… Make the best of what you have and value every day for being alive and breathing, you will feel alot happier.
Much love,
Theodore Mander
President / Jewelry Designer
NevaeH Jewelry Co.
http://www.nevaehjewelry.com
Ps. Take a look at my site and pass it along…Thanks!