Safe

Do you feel safe in your home?
Safe in your back yard, garage, front yard?

I was walking Chuck, just up and down my block tonight.
I was out all day, but felt he needed a treat!
He enjoys walking so much.
Almost as much as the cookie he gets upon returning from outside!

As we were walking, I was looking at my neighbors' homes.
Yards raked or not, some nicely landscaped,
others (not many) in need of some repair.
I noticed, while passing a home down the block,
two people were standing in the garage talking.
There were cars in the drive,
so I could only glance at them on either side of the car.
If truth be told, only before passing the drive.
Otherwise, I would have had to turn and look.
This narrative makes it seem as if these neighbors were doing something...
at least interesting.
No.
They just caught my eye.
And made me think.

I remember times when Terry and I would talk in the garage,
while working on a home improvement project,
or Papa and I would watch the thunderstorms coming in
from the safety of the garage.
I don't ever remember being aware of others on the street, passing by.

Working in the yard, especially the back yard,
brings a special kind of privacy that only the late spring through fall brings.
When there are no leaves, Morris Park Country Club members and staff
can view my yard and house with abandon.
Winter is really the only time I even think about anyone being behind me.

I feel this way in my car too.
In my own little world, singing as loudly and as badly as I can.

One of my favorite past times is taking a drive at dusk.
Most people do not close their blinds or curtains in the early evening.
I can see the televisions in the front rooms,
Sometimes dinner being set on the table,
People sitting in comfy chairs, and decorating styles.
All are unaware that as I drive by, they are being observed,
even for only a tiny moment in time.


Is this a common feeling?
Will I be more prone to notice others when I may be observed?
How big is my little shelter in the world?
And does anyone even care?