I haven't reported on a fairly major development in walking: Housemate and I have made friends with The Mysterious Walker. He now regularly makes eye contact with us, and sometimes smiles. This morning we had an unprecedented combination of eye contact, an audible "Hi" delivered with a smile, and a cute little wave with his left hand. Wow.
I had thought I'd done some damage when I saw him last Friday. He smiled and nodded a hello and I burst out with, "Isn't it a beautiful day?" as I went by which I think was too much for him. I was afraid we'd be back to complete avoidance. But nope. We're friends now. We say hello to one another as we pass. With the change in seasons he's now in shorts, no Walkman. He's getting a little bit tan and freckly. Still always alone, and from the way he approaches us, eyes averted, it still looks like it takes a real gathering of nerve for him to make eye contact and say hello. But he does it, and each time it is a little treat.
There's a cast of regulars on the morning path -- the slow runner, the older couple, the radiant girl, the guy in the red shorts, the mysterious walker, the two middle aged lady walkers, the leopard hat couple, the woman who works with our friend's mom, the lady with the golden retriever, sometimes the guy in work clothes. And then on any occasion there are a number of folks I don't recognize. It's a circular path so often you pass people twice in a loop around it. Some people are friendly, some are cursory, a few totally avoid contact. I don't wonder very much about too many of the people -- the slow runner, the radiant girl, the leopard print hat couple and the mysterious walker are the only ones who've ever captured my imagination. But I wonder whether the mysterious walker is now saying hello to the other regulars, or just us?
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