Sometimes you get lucky

April 15, 2024

Today was such a day

EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE I make a spur-of-the-moment decision that pays off in unexpected ways. That happened today. Had it been a routine, run-of-the-mill outing I'd not have bothered to write it up and post it, but two things happened that left me feeling especially glad.

I had planned out a 35 mile route, with stops for various errands strung along the path like beads on a wire. One of those errands, the last one in fact, was an afternoon visit to my cardiologist for a scheduled routine appointment.

Before I got there, I stopped for lunch. As I lingered, my phone rang. It was the doctor's office calling to reschedule because the doctor was running late and wouldn't be able to make it. Rescheduling was easy, and it abruptly and unexpectedly cleared my afternoon's agenda.

During lunch the sky had built up some vaguely ominous and threatening-looking clouds, but not so ominous or threatening that they were of immediate concern. The temperature had also dropped- it was still comfortable, but unexpected.

The original plan called for another ten or so miles after the doctor's visit but they were entirely of the "gratuitous" sort, and after my long lunch break I just didn't have the ambition or self-discipline to ride them so I cut things short and took the easy way home.

Twenty minutes after I arrived, we had a brief thunder squall accompanied by a small amount of scattered pea-sized hail. The whole thing lasted only ten minutes or so, perhaps less than that, but I was glad to have been watching it from the indoor comfort of our home office rather than enduring it outdoors.

Before that, it was a glorious day for a ride. My route was a mix of suburban streets and creek side bike/walking paths.

Meh. Brand-new apartments or townhomes. They're not especially attractive to me visually, or interesting architecturally, and I don't expect them to age well, but this style is the current hot trend. I see these all over the area, wherever new construction is taking place. I do like the redbud trees, though.

Better: part of my route took me past the tiny (by current standards, at least; they're less than 1,000 square feet inside) homes built in the immediate aftermath of WWII, as the DC area was beginning what has been a burgeoning, ongoing, growth and expansion. This modest home, absolutely typical of those in the neighborhood, was especially pleasant because it was so well-kept.

Best: the Matthew Henson Trail follows several small streams through pleasant wooded areas. It was cool, quiet, and tranquil (although I do wish more pedestrians would be a little more aware of their surroundings and less absorbed by their phones...)

One couple I passed appeared to be in their late 60s or early 70s, and were likely immigrants from northern or eastern Africa. As I rode by I said "Good morning" and they replied in kind. The gentleman raised and clasped his hands in what I took to be a reflexive gesture expressing friendship and goodwill in whatever his native culture might be. It's likely such an ingrained habit he might've done it almost without thought, but it really touched me.

So much so, in fact, that when they caught up with me a bit further on while I waited to cross a busy, major suburban thoroughfare, I was at pains to return the gesture and compliment. A beaming smile was my reward, and there's no better reward than that is there. In fact, it pretty well made the day for me.

Heart

Comment

Link

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	8
Comment on this entry	Comment	3

Kelly IniguezI love your story. Thank you for sharing.

I said good morning as I passed some construction workers today. One man doffed his safety helmet at me in return. That brought a smile to my face.
Reply to this comment
1 month ago

Keith AdamsTo Kelly IniguezNice!

That's the sort of thing that keeps me smiling for a long time afterward, and again every time I think of it later.
Reply to this comment
1 month ago

Janice BranhamLovely story Keith, and a good reminder those connections are out there if we are open to it
Reply to this comment
3 weeks ago