Everyday numerous little dramas play out in front of our eyes. We see them, but they don’t register. Until one day you suddenly realize that the drama has stopped, and then you realize it. This is one of those dramas.
When I moved to my present house, I had two neighbors right across the street from me. Every morning, the newspaper guy tossed a copy of the Boston Globe on their driveways.
Within the first few days of moving in, I noticed that an elderly gentleman living in the orange house (on the right), came out each morning at about 615 or 630 and walked over to his neighbors house (the one on the left). He picked up the newspaper, walked to the front step and dropped it off. Then he walked back to his house, picked up his newspaper, and went in. Take a close look at the picture and the arrows show the newspapers.
David was over 90 and rain or shine he would do this. Sometimes I would see him hop in the red Lexus and drive away. Or taking a brisk walk with his Nordic walking sticks (which inspired me to buy a pair). When it snowed he would come out, slowly shovel a path wide enough for him to walk out and carry out his ritual newspaper drop. I spoke with Barb about this. This was their prearranged signal that David was alright.
Two or so years went by and I hardly noticed the ritual any more. David had lost his driver’s license after a couple of fender-benders. A neighbor would drive him around from time to time. I saw him pottering around the house, fetching his mail from the mailbox, or taking a slow walk down the road.
Last week when I noticed newspapers sitting out on the driveway.
The car has been sitting there for some days now. The newspapers are stacking up on the driveway. And then it struck me what all the commotion was last week with the police cars and the fire engines at David’s house.
Hype Cycles 