Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Came upon what would usually be an irresistable curbside find; a small, neatly packed box of recent National Geographics. But I was on my way to the supermarket & knew I'd be returning via another street with among other items a 1/2 gallon of Turkey Hill orangecream ice cream in my backpack. So I picked one off the top, lead article on Sicily, tucked inside were 3 maps, Italy, Alaska & Hawaii. & slipped it into my bag. It was a comfortable walk, cold no wind, & I had a cup of coffee & was thinking on various matters so the journey went quickly although that also makes me less observant of the scenery, such as the old houses, most of them single family & well-maintained. But being deep in thought is also how one gets accosted by strange &/or unpleasant persons in unexpected places. When I lived in Rahway, I often walked up Grand Ave. to Dunkin' Donuts around midnight, mostly for exercise & to visit an attractive Ukrainian woman working the night shift; & while that was a "safe" trip, I did occasionally encounter people who needed to know I was aware of them before they got within fifty steps of me. The only other option is to become invisible, & sometimes I am but I'm not sure how it happens. I just know that on those nights I see more cats.
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." Thomas Jefferson
