The Nice Thing About Strangers
Creative Non-Fiction Short Stories. :) Travel, Oldsters, Love, and Compassion.
Spring Reverie
It’s finally and officially warm in Vermont. I think Wednesday there could be snow, but everyone I’ve seen has been seizing the day. People are wearing t-shirts. Scarves have gone into hiding. A landscaper gazes into the sun and raises his arms like Rocky Balboa did at the top of the steps. A young man walks down Main in business-casual and flip-flops. There’s a general sense of gratitude at the end of a long winter.
I’m driving with my windows rolled down. At a stoplight, I wait for my green arrow. Two cars line up in the lanes to my right, and they also have their windows down. I realize slowly that we are all on the same radio station, all listening to Paul Simon. The song reminds me of my days as a babysitter to a fantastic family. The parents had a Paul Simon cd that their children opted to play from time to time. A boy and a girl, both very bright, both incredibly fun, the three of us would make up plays for their parents to watch when they returned. We wrote stories, we made up dance routines, we had adventures with their pets: their pups and their “hammies” (the hamsters). It was a wonderful job where I got the chance to remain imaginative, to enjoy being a writer, a director, a participant in our grand performances. They are grown now–accomplished, charming, beautiful people and we still reminisce about those days whenever we meet.
Normally frustrated by the glacial stoplights in town, today I indulge in this happy reverie and enjoy the breeze of the long-awaited spring day. I smile at my neighboring radio listeners, wondering where the song may have taken them, and I hope it was somewhere nearly as warm.
–Vermont
Mom and two of her sisters playing dress up. 🙂
The Nice Thing About Strangers 
I am a windows down person so unless it is really cold or really hot I have the windows down when I am in the car.
It’s been so chilly here that I haven’t had the windows down in a while, and I have missed it! 🙂 It was nice to see people looking at other people enjoying the day.
Thanks for all the support, Joanne!
Paige
Being, I would imagine, of your mother’s generation, that photo brings me lots of happy memories, Paige ! We had a big box on the back verandah called the dressup box, and applied ourselves to it with gusto (especially when we were in the throes of preparing for one of our concerts !). Wonderful stuff !
And that’s my response to your own memory lane trip – just as enjoyable, I promise. 🙂
I’m so glad it brought back memories! I loved finding a few of these photos when looking through family items. It’s also amazing to see how the future generations resemble Mom and my aunts. I’m always looking for images of myself in my parents’ photos. I suppose that’s normal. 🙂
So nice to see you. I really LOVED the library lecture you gave about writing your book. Thank you so much for sharing it, my friend!
Paige
You are a kind person indeed Paige ! but that can easily be seen by perusing your lovely stories. 🙂
Love the photo of mom and her sisters! Called the kid’s over to see and Kaeden said, “I didn’t know they had camera’s back then.” ; D
Continuing to enjoy your stories.
Stephanie
Ah, I’ve missed you and the fam! 🙂 I think I owe the kids some mail. Hope you’re doing well, cuz! 😀
Paige
Brilliant once again, Paige 🙂 As is the case with so many “annoyances” in our everyday lives (i.e. – red lights), if we give ourselves a chance to immerse ourselves in them, we may just find something from the past to reminisce about, or better yet, something new to reach for in the future. May warm thoughts visit you soon – both weather related and in terms of many more fond memories 😉 Thanks for sharing!