Moments with Strangers #1

6/10/2012 - Moving in

As I pulled into Ken's Market, the small neighborhood grocery store, for the first time, someone in an apron smiled big at me.  "Zipcar!" he said.  Later I found a Safeway around the corner that google maps didn't show on my search.  Maybe it knew I was moving in, and needed a local moment to get me started.

I get home from the market and my neighbor across the street emerged from under his car.  "I'm Wally."  He welcomed me to the neighborhood and invited me to a 4th of July barbecue with his roommates, after knowing me for less than 5 minutes.  This could be a special place.

6/15/2012 - Elevator Pitch

We were all waiting for the elevator.  I got there first and pushed the up button.  The woman with the cart got there next and jabbed at the (already lit up) up button several times, as if she felt with each jab the elevator would feel her urgency and hurry itself.  The last woman arrived to witness the rest of the scene.

An elevator finally arrived, going down.  The woman with the cart let out a big sigh.  As soon as the door closed, she pushed the down button with as much vigor as she had pushed the up button.  That's when the other observer and I made eye contact.  The next elevator that came was also down, and empty this time.  The woman with the cart got on and as soon as the doors closed behind her, the remaining two of us couldn't help but laugh.

"Someone was in a hurry!" she said as we boarded the elevator that had come to take us up.  "That first elevator was going down too.  Why didn't she get on it?"

"It's Friday," I offered.  "We're all a little off."

"Ain't that the truth!" she said.  "I've been here for four hours.  I come four days a week and help an older woman with her dialysis.  I'm ready to get out of here now, but I didn't want to go wherever she was heading!"  I could understand that, since the very aura of that woman exuded stress.

"That's nice that you help someone with her dialysis," I said as we reached my floor.

As I got off the elevator, who had materialized but the same woman with a cart, now smiling broadly and asking, "Going down?"  I stared in awe as I stepped out of the way of this magical transporting mail woman.

As I walked away, I could practically hear from the elevator the sound of my friend trying not to laugh.