What Do You Take With You?

Last Tuesday I drove to a friend’s house at 5 o’ clock in the morning for a delivery. In the latter part of the year, five a.m. is still nighttime dark. Nevertheless I spotted a couple of people already out – first a woman walking briskly out of the village (off to work?), obviously fresh from the shower, in complete contrast to my rumpled just-out-of-bed appearance. The second was a bit more interesting: a chubby man in his late 50s, walking shorts and shoes, white socks up to his shins, t-shirt with “Minolta” on it. He was obviously on his morning walk, turning on the same corner where my friend lived. He had a leather belt bag, but instead of wearing it he clutched it like one would hold a handled purse. It was obviously packed and heavy. What was in it? Rocks? Emergency snacks? I am intrigued.

I used to see the dad of another friend on his morning jogs, carrying his tennis racket. He wasn’t on his way to play, he just brought it along for protection. C’s former boss took a golf club with her on her walks (she didn’t play golf). A friend’s neighbor used to take a sweater-clad daschund out walking.

I really don’t have a point to this.