So this morning I eagerly got up, looked outside. It was still pretty dark, very cloudy, and raining. Not at all ideal conditions for a morning stroll.
Not deterred, but rather, with greatest determination, I donned my fleece hoodie to guard against the chilly, wet, “out-there“ and set off to dodge the intermittent light showers.
I like to walk with my MP3 player and listen to music while I exercise, and this morning was no different. I enjoy the way that I can get lost in the music and the beautiful scenery and not think about the exertion that my body is having to endure. (Okay, I know that it is just walking--but that’s just where I am right now!)
Normally on my morning walk, I encounter more than a few other walkers and joggers, but today that was not the case. I didn’t mind though, because it allowed me the freedom to sing along with the music that I was listening to without worrying about who might hear my vocalizations. (If you’ve ever heard someone singing along with music that only they could hear, then you know what I mean. It can be pretty scary sounding!)
Those of you that have seen me lately know that I am a big guy. Let’s just say that at six foot, six inches tall and about 255 pounds, I’m not easily overlooked! But this is something that I don’t think about often, until something happens to remind me of that fact. Something like what happened on my walk this morning.
So here I am walking along, listening to my music, when I noticed an elderly lady and her dog approaching me on the sidewalk ahead. She was a small, thin woman who was hanging tightly onto the leash on her small dog as if she were holding back an attack dog. Though the dog was no attack dog, he could have easily overpowered the woman and pulled her down, but he seemed to know not to pull too hard.
It is my custom when I pass by a fellow walker, to smile and greet them. It just feels nice to acknowledge my comrades in fitness. So, in anticipation of that moment when I would be close enough to be heard by this sweet elderly woman, but not too late for her to respond, I put my hand in the pocket of my hoodie, and started to pull out my MP3 player to pause it, out of courtesy to her, so that I could hear her response if she answered.
But as I was pulling my hand out of my pocket, I noticed the poor lady shrinking back from me with quite a frightened look on her face! I quickly smiled and said, “Good morning!” She had no response for me.
It wasn’t until I had passed by her that I realized that I was the one who had frightened her! But by then I couldn’t very well go back and apologize to her. That would have only served to frighten her even more!
I can’t help but wonder what she was thinking, if she felt vulnerable, as I approached her on the sidewalk, when there was no one else around. Or how her fears increased exponentially as I fumbled in my hoodie pocket for my MP3 player!
Perhaps, if I had realized the impact that I was having on her at that moment, I could have done what the angel of the Lord did for the shepherds "abiding in the field," when he showed up on the scene and scared them half to death, and said something like:
“Fear not! For, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy! It’s a brand new year and I’m not here to mug you!”
May this new year bring you peace, prosperity, and love . . . and safety from terrorists . . . real or imagined!
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Good post...and man, you do look scary!
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