A moment of sunshine...
...during an otherwise cloudy day.
I had just completed my first mile, crossed the street, and started in on my second. I was feeling rather miserable, dwelling on my grandmother's surgery in the morning, how exhausted/burnt out I felt after work, the headache I had from the sun shining in my eyes and how my legs were starting to hurt (probably because I walked two fives last week instead of my usual fours). With all of that combined, I was sure that I was going to score one hell of a shitty time tonight, mileage-wise, which made me feel even worse.
Being thusly lost in thought, I didn't notice the lady who had pulled over and parked her car on my side of the street, about 10 feet ahead of me, until she started to get out. I'd never seen her before, she was older with a kind face and a colorful scarf on her head. Thinking that she must have broken down or something, I hit pause on my iPod, expecting to be asked for directions or if I had a cell phone (both of which have happened before, although most people just roll their windows down). So you can imagine my surprise when she walked straight up to me and said this instead:
"You've been walking for a long time, haven't you?" (I nodded, confused) "I have to tell you, you are an inspiration to my entire street! You're out in the rain and the snow and the wind...you come from all the way down by the school, don't you?" (I nodded again, totally shocked). She shook her head over me in apparent amazement. "I am always pointing you out to my kids when I drive by, you are such a great example."
"Really?" I stammered. "Wow...thank you so much. Most people say that I'm crazy for doing this..."
"But you're not!" she replied, totally serious. "How do you feel? Do you feel better? Because you look great, you really do. No offense or anything, but you just look great. You're so inspiring to all of us, you really are."
I think I stammered something brilliant like "oh wow, thank you" three or four more times after that, being so shocked/flattered that I didn't know what else to say. I had no idea that people were actually paying attention to me as they drove by, aside from a fairly large group who know me from work and the random crazies who like to honk and yell every once in awhile. I guess it makes sense, though, considering the years and frequency that I've been doing this. If some woman charged up and down my street five days a week for four or five years, I'd probably have noticed too.
Still, I had no idea that I was a minor celebrity in some local neighborhood someplace. That's just...well...wow.
And obviously, I'm touched. I wish now that I'd thought to shake her hand, or at least introduce myself, before she got back into her car and drove off, but I was just so surprised....it was incredibly sweet of her, to actually take the time to pull her car over, get OUT of it, and tell me this.
So needless to say, after all of that, I really did feel better.
I had just completed my first mile, crossed the street, and started in on my second. I was feeling rather miserable, dwelling on my grandmother's surgery in the morning, how exhausted/burnt out I felt after work, the headache I had from the sun shining in my eyes and how my legs were starting to hurt (probably because I walked two fives last week instead of my usual fours). With all of that combined, I was sure that I was going to score one hell of a shitty time tonight, mileage-wise, which made me feel even worse.
Being thusly lost in thought, I didn't notice the lady who had pulled over and parked her car on my side of the street, about 10 feet ahead of me, until she started to get out. I'd never seen her before, she was older with a kind face and a colorful scarf on her head. Thinking that she must have broken down or something, I hit pause on my iPod, expecting to be asked for directions or if I had a cell phone (both of which have happened before, although most people just roll their windows down). So you can imagine my surprise when she walked straight up to me and said this instead:
"You've been walking for a long time, haven't you?" (I nodded, confused) "I have to tell you, you are an inspiration to my entire street! You're out in the rain and the snow and the wind...you come from all the way down by the school, don't you?" (I nodded again, totally shocked). She shook her head over me in apparent amazement. "I am always pointing you out to my kids when I drive by, you are such a great example."
"Really?" I stammered. "Wow...thank you so much. Most people say that I'm crazy for doing this..."
"But you're not!" she replied, totally serious. "How do you feel? Do you feel better? Because you look great, you really do. No offense or anything, but you just look great. You're so inspiring to all of us, you really are."
I think I stammered something brilliant like "oh wow, thank you" three or four more times after that, being so shocked/flattered that I didn't know what else to say. I had no idea that people were actually paying attention to me as they drove by, aside from a fairly large group who know me from work and the random crazies who like to honk and yell every once in awhile. I guess it makes sense, though, considering the years and frequency that I've been doing this. If some woman charged up and down my street five days a week for four or five years, I'd probably have noticed too.
Still, I had no idea that I was a minor celebrity in some local neighborhood someplace. That's just...well...wow.
And obviously, I'm touched. I wish now that I'd thought to shake her hand, or at least introduce myself, before she got back into her car and drove off, but I was just so surprised....it was incredibly sweet of her, to actually take the time to pull her car over, get OUT of it, and tell me this.
So needless to say, after all of that, I really did feel better.