Familiar strangers.

I had to FedEx a package this afternoon, and the man at my friendly neighborhood Pack N Mail was there--as always--to help me. I love that he knows my name, even though I haven't been to his store since May when we shipped the last issue of the student newspaper. Last year I would show up once every six weeks, but we submit our pages online now. I wondered if he would remember me, and sure enough, he did! I guess that's why I drove a little out of my way to frequent his shop instead of one closer to home.

Then there's the man I often see when I'm walking. It's crazy how often he's out there when I round the corner and head down his street. In the morning? He's there smoking by his pickup. After school? Yep! There he is, leaning against the bed of the truck, watching the world go by. One afternoon a few weeks ago, all four of us were walking together--a nice change of pace. Well, the smoking guy was there, and as usual, Brett and I said hello. Much to my surprise, he commented on how much Ryan and Katie have grown. "I remember you pushing them around in their stroller," he said, and WHOOOOOOSH! I flashed back to those days when the kids would sing and count mailboxes while we pushed the double buggy. I was amazed that he recognized us as that particular family of four; we haven't exactly been regular walkers all these years. Still, it was nice that he shares that special memory of our babies.

And there you have it: Day 30 of NaBloPoMo! I'm not quite sure what I've proven to myself, but it sure has been a nice stress-reliever to force myself away from household chores, away from ongoing projects to spend just a few minutes a day writing.