The Old Coot is watching.
By Merlin Lessler
Nobody’s out front! On
their porch! Mostly! I ride my bike here in the village, through nearby
communities and along my favorite route, Marshland Road. Quite a few houses
have porches, but I hardly ever see anyone sitting on them. Oh sure, there are a
few exceptions sprinkled here and there. I almost always see Joe, next to the
Parkview Inn on his porch when I ride by early on Sunday mornings. And, later on,
I see Kim reading on her Front Street porch, patiently waiting for the day when
her house is finally raised above flood level, Nancy, is on her Paige Street porch
and a handful of others. But for the most part, people are in back of their
houses when they go outside to relax.
We recently moved to a
house with a large, wrap around porch. I’m out there all the time. It’s where I
eat breakfast & lunch, read, doze and people watch. I can see everyone
walking and driving by, and they can see me. I’m probably becoming a village
legend - that weird guy who’s always out on his porch.
Oh well, I’ve been called
worse. But I have to admit, I’m loving it out there. I also get to see a train rumble
past a dozen or more times a day. Clang! Clang! Clickety! Clack! It can be
mesmerizing. Feeling stressed? Watch a train. Even an electric, scale model
train can have the same effect.
I had one on a shelf that
went around the office in our old house. I ran it all the time, especially when
reading a book in my recliner (with my eyes closed). Now I do the same, but out
on the front porch with a full-size train.
I guess I’m just a nosy
old coot. Who wants to see what’s going on. Out front! Things like: the number
of cars that run the red light in front of our house, or turn right on red
without stopping, people walking for exercise, going to work, or to shop in the
village stores. It’s better than the reality shows on cable TV. Unlike them,
it’s real.
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