Dawn is about 15 minutes after 7 these mornings, so when I head to the bus stop at 6:30, it's still dark, which is a relative term considering the yellow light cast by the street lamps on the black pavement and reflected off the snow when it has fallen, as it did last night.
This morning I felt like one of the very first people up. One or two cars were idling in driveways, those on the street was far apart, and there were no pedestrians. I was alone, first to really breath the air of the day.
Whistling a tune, I strode along the snowy sidewalk like a trailblazer, when I noticed another set of prints in the snow going my way.
Someone before me! A person with big feet. Look how the man (so l thought) scuffed his feet. Wait, there's another set of prints extending ahead of me. A different shape of shoe, narrower and with a pointed, perhaps a woman's.
For a brief moment, I felt like a tracker able to draw fascinating insights from mere indentations in snow. Quickly, though, all the impressions got confusing. Then I felt more like Pooh following Heffalumps--laughable.
What I finally understood was this: some poor folk were up and out even before me, perhaps to one of those ultra-early coffeeshop gigs. Dark as it still was, the morning was already in play.
Go well, you night-risers, making the rest of us welcome in the day, or going about other good business. You've shown me the way.
This morning I felt like one of the very first people up. One or two cars were idling in driveways, those on the street was far apart, and there were no pedestrians. I was alone, first to really breath the air of the day.
Whistling a tune, I strode along the snowy sidewalk like a trailblazer, when I noticed another set of prints in the snow going my way.
Someone before me! A person with big feet. Look how the man (so l thought) scuffed his feet. Wait, there's another set of prints extending ahead of me. A different shape of shoe, narrower and with a pointed, perhaps a woman's.
For a brief moment, I felt like a tracker able to draw fascinating insights from mere indentations in snow. Quickly, though, all the impressions got confusing. Then I felt more like Pooh following Heffalumps--laughable.
What I finally understood was this: some poor folk were up and out even before me, perhaps to one of those ultra-early coffeeshop gigs. Dark as it still was, the morning was already in play.
Go well, you night-risers, making the rest of us welcome in the day, or going about other good business. You've shown me the way.
No comments:
Post a Comment