Our Everyday Business By Linda Stowe
Some days the only voice I hear is that of Siri. That may sound like a sad thing to share about my life, but it is not. Most of my days are spent alone but I never feel lonely. As I think about it, the last time I felt lonely I was married. Loneliness doesn’t necessarily come from not having other people around.
Every day has a similar shape to it, a routine that feels as familiar and comfortable as an old friend. I eat mostly the same meals every day. They’re easy to prepare because I order the same things from the grocery each week. Meal planning and prep is like a self-perpetuating machine. One day pleasantly blends into the next.
Sometimes there are surprises. This past Monday morning my doorbell rang. It was a woman I did not know who turned out to be a neighbor. She said that Vivian, who lives across the street from me had called her because Vivian thought she had seen a fire in my house and was concerned. Vivian has mobility problems, so she called this neighbor to come and check on me. Of course, there was no fire, but it was a nice feeling to know that even though I am the only one here, I I am not really alone because others are watching out for me. We think of old people sitting behind the shade at the window longing for a life that passed too quickly. But the reality is that we are just people going about our everyday business looking out for each other.
About the fire: I later figured out that what Vivian mistook for flames was just the sun reflecting off my front door window. I normally have that door shut, but that morning I had left it slightly ajar because I was expecting my brother to stop by.
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Polly here.
Our lives come in all different shapes and sizes. We all live our days and nights differently. To each his own. And yet, we are all connected through our humanity and through our place in the community of Planet Earth.
Linda wrote a great story about living life. I love this. Especially the last part about looking out for one another. As I said. We are all very, very connected. I am grateful for this world and my place in it. I am thankful for my friends and family and all those people who share this with me.
There are a lot of good hearts in this world. May all of us be one of them.
