Lindsay L. O'Connor

Part of enjoying these last couple days off is that I have the pleasure of having time for a walk in the morning without having to get up insanely early. This morning was so cool and wet and gray and fresh–such a miracle of a thing for an August day in Texas! Seeing the other people out walking and jogging is interesting because I love how awake our little neighborhood is in the morning and am so interested in the people who live here, but it’s always a bit awkward when I pass someone on the sidewalk. I never know if I should greet people or leave them alone to enjoy the quiet beginning of the day. I have this strange paranoia of being annoying or obnoxious to people, but I am also a people-person. This results in an awkward slight smile and a quiet “hello,” which is probably too obtrusive to leave people alone but not quite cheerful enough to be completely friendly-sounding.

As I was coming to the close of my walk, a few houses down from home, one of my neighbors was out in the yard. I’m terrible at guessing ages, but he was probably in his early 60’s. He smiled and said cheerfully, “Good morning, young lady!” I don’t know why but it made me happy. It reminded me of the man who helped me order my contacts at my eye doctor’s office and who says things like, “What can I do for you, darlin?” Texas certainly has its faults, but where else do you get those kinds of southern gentleman greetings? A small part of me travels in my imagination to romantic (and erroneous, I’m sure) ideas of what the old west was like. Glad to know chivalry is not dead in the South.