第74章ThoseStrangersWeKnow

第74章thosestrangersweknow

wemaylookattheworldaroundus,butsomehowwemanagenottoseeituntilwhateveritiswe'vebecomeaccustomedtosuddenlydisappears.take,forexample,theneatlyattiredwomaniusedtosee—orlookat—onmywaytoworkeachmorning.

forthreeyears,nomatterwhattheweather,shewasalwayswaitingatthebusstoparound8a.m.onsnowydays,sheworeheavybootsandawoolenscarf.summertimebroughtoutneat,beltedcottondressesandastrawhatwornlowoverhereyeglasses.clearlyaworkingwoman,sheexudedanairofcompetence,stabilityanddependability.

ofcourse,irememberedallthisonlyaftershevanished.itwasthenirealizedhowmuchicountedonseeinghereachmorning.youmightsayimissedher.

naturally,ihadfantasiesaboutherdisappearance.accident?somethingworse?nowthatshewasgone,ifeltihadknownher.

ibegantorealizethatasignificantpartofourdailylifeconsistsofsuchencounterswithfamiliarstrangers:thepowerwalkeryouseeeveryafternoonatthreeo'clock.thewomanwhoregularlywalksheryorkieatthecrackofdawn.thedappertwinbrothersyouseeatthelibrary.

suchpeopleareimportantmarkersinthelandscapeofourlives.theyaddweighttooursenseofplaceandbelonging.

thinkaboutit.if,whilewalkingtowork,wemarkwherewearebypassingacertainbuilding,whyshouldwenotmarkwherewearewhenwepassafamiliar,thoughunnamed,person?

afterall,ifpartofbeingatouristisseeingnothingandnoonefamiliartoyou,thencanwenotsaythatseeingthefamiliarerorshopperispartofwhatmakesuscitizensofourcommunity?

thisisonethinganimmigrantlongsfor,isuppose:thesightofthefamiliarstranger.theshopkeeperwhonodstoyou.thebusdriverwhodrivesyoutoworkeachday.thewomanyouseewalkingherchildtoschool.

sometimesiwonder:amiafamiliarstrangertosomeone?

perhapsashopperatthesupermarketseesmethereeverysaturdaywithoutreallynotingmypresence.ormaybesomeoneatthedrugstorecounterwhereieatbreakfastwouldnoticeifistoppedshowingup.

onceinawhileyoumightactuallymeetoneofthesefamiliarstrangers,asididafewmonthsago.iwasstandinginacoffeeshopwhenawomansaidhello.“doyouknowwhoiam?”sheasked.andidid.shewasapatientihadseenmanytimesinmydoctor'soffice.wehadaneasy,familiarchat—althoughwenevergotaroundtoexchangingnames.

buthere'swhatiremembermostabouttheimportanceoffamiliarstrangers.once,drivinghomefromtheairportafteralongvacation,iwasfeelingdisoriented,out-of-place.thenisawhim—thegentlemaninthetweedjacketandgreencap.i'dseenthismanwalkingthroughmyneighborhoodathousandtimes.

ah,ithought,seeingthefamiliarstranger,i'mhomeatlast.