I moved about three weeks ago. As with all such changes, I had to re-appropriate my environment. Gone the big boulevard on one side and the rather quiet side street on the other. Welcome to the hipster commercial street above and in front and the rear common area bordered by the kids’ playground and the schoolyard. Gone too are the cardinals and the blue jay and those I will dearly miss even though I still have the tiny birdies.
Tiny birds that although the same species as before have a different behaviour. The ones in the more suburban side street had gotten used to the idea of my bringing them bread crumbs even if they waited for me to retreat before eating them. The new ones come closer, used that they are to the higher density of folks. And yet, they also play hide and run. This afternoon, a dozen of them took turns examining me. They landed on the railing and quizzically detailed the new beast : what does it want, why does it talk to us and whistles? Some tried the ground approach and ran away without my ever attempting to move towards them. I wonder why they were so suspicious, I am not a cat, my interest in them is strictly platonic! They do have a fun pastime though. Since the playground has large swaths of dirt, they bathe in the dust. Very very cute but don’t try that at home kids, mom won’t be pleased!
Talking about schoolyard and kids and moms … not only is there a school right by my place but also a small park for the very young ones. That is a great place for observations on life. The very young ones are like little animals. The parents would surely take exception to this sentence and yet, the movements of intent run followed by utter hesitation, the unpredictable volte-face and the occasional escape attempts have more in common with the dance of the little birds than with the deliberate movement of the older kids. Sometimes, with the right parents, these tiny one provide incredible moments. yesterday, dad was swinging a vivacious boy toddler in the very tiny and safe swings. Mom, a few meters away was patiently building a veritable town of small sand castles from a mould resembling the tower of Babel. Baby, started complaining and twitching and dad freed him. Immediately he crawled as fast as he could and, which was easy to envision, smashed the nearest castle. Mom went ohhhhh in fake shock and from the top of the wall that borders my building courtyard, I could not help but laugh!
The little animal gathered both results and thought for a few seconds. then he move to the next sand castle and looked at me with an uncertain but expectant even hopeful smile and reduced another tower to rubble. That act of power was followed by a proud resounding ooooohhh. He looked at me beaming and I couldn’t help notice the resemblance with Godzilla. Enjoy the feeling while it lasts, little boy.
Finally, there is the sad case of my tiny alcoholic neighbor. Not much bigger than the birds and as easy to scare but not at all times. Sober, he will pass me rapidly, not trusting the new guy that I am to his building. Half intoxicated, he will jump, scared out of his wits by the big bad guy but fully drunk, he will let me usher him in, clutching his beer with difficulty and fleeing up the stairs. The sad part is that the next morning, every next morning, he will be worried and later on scared and so on. At this point, I don’t expect it will change. If the city wanted to be nice to him though they’d replace the cement sidewalks, with say 6 inches deep of wood chips. I’d really be saddened to see him crying kneeling by the corpse of his big beer bottle which judging by his difficulties in threading back from the convenience store is not an impossibility by far. Then again the kids might not like that for skateboards perform darn poorly in soft ground. If the X-games used wood chips for their skateboard runs, slow motion replays would not be necessary. Oh, well! Nothing is perfect said the fox.
And that is my new “hood” as the kids say.
Tay.
Definitive Lapse of Reason 