Thought and Poem – January 6, 2015
A lot can be learned about the people in our community, if we were to take a walk around the block with our eyes open and with a giving spirit.
I do this from time to time myself. I will actually shut down my computer and leave my desk, and open my front door and do just this…take a walk. Once I get on the sidewalk, I put a finger in the air and whichever way the wind is blowing…I go the other way.
In the few years that I have lived in my community, on one of these walks, I have noticed that a lot has changed. Children who were riding tricycles a few years ago are now riding on two-wheels and have grown like bean-stalks. Teenagers who were once out playing street hockey or basketball are now seen leaving their homes getting into their cars, which explain why there are now fewer empty parking spaces on our streets. It used to be that families owned only one car but now each member of the family owns a car. The older women, who would never smile or give me eye contact are now doing so (I blame this on their possible memory loss) and as I always smile back (these same women are probably wondering the same about my memory, or if I am now on new medications).
A person can tell by the changes seen around the yard if things are going well for people. Those who used to keep their yards in tip-top shape, now allow the leaves to pile up because their illnesses and pains zap them of the necessary energies to do what they once enjoyed, and those who would never have allowed a piece of trash to linger on their lawns are now too fragile to bend over to pick them up.
For all those I meet on my walks, I have a smile and a listening ear should they want to stand and talk with me for a little while. There are so few things we can still offer to others that doesn’t cost money and these…well…as long as you do not agree to anything or sign anything…are still known to be free.
I have learned a lot about what helps my neighbors endure each day; their strengths and their gifts and for some of my neighbors I have benefited greatly from their physical strengths and skills. For other neighbors, I wish I could put time in a bottle and capture the years they may consider were the best years of their lives. Time goes by too fast…too many changes.
What about you? Are you one to notice the changes with the people and around their homes in your neighborhood? Share your thoughts with us…Jeanne Claire Probst
A Walk around the Neighborhood
Open your hearts and let the sunshine in…
Help someone in need a new way to begin.
Think of what life would be like if you were in their shoes,
And if you were, think about what you would want others to do for you.
So you don’t have money, this is a shame,
But there are more types of giving in the sharing game.
What is important is that you are moved to share,
And to others you help make life better, by showing you care!
Jeanne Claire Probst
