Stopping In A World That Keeps Spinning

I wrote a couple of years ago about being a person who STOPS.

Stops for lemonade stands. Stops for mariachi bands practicing unexpectedly in parking lots. Stops for wicker love seats left on the side of the road that just need a little tender loving care and a new home.

I am happy to be a person who stops. It feels like who I AM. It is an integral part of what makes me me.

And look, I am not staying that ME is any better than anyone else.

It is just that I have been reminded all day today how the rest of the world, at least the people who pass the Big Yellow House, are not like me. And I find it so strange.

It has been months since I did a “front gate project” – a term I coined for “events” I plan and put up on our front gate. (And it is literally now GATE and not gateS, because we still only have one front gate since the unfortunate “car runs into house” episode that happened last October…)

Anyway, I have been thinking of this front gate project for about a month, and actually preparing it for about 8 days. I got supplies. I hand painted 50 cards and 50 envelopes. I ironed the painted cards to make them nice and crisp. I wrote 50 ideas/fortunes and printed them on cards. I cut 50 pieces of pretty ribbon. I put treats/gifts/surprises in each envelope. I hand painted papers and printed signs on them explaining the project. I translated one sign into Spanish to try and be more accessible to passersby.

Then this morning, I hung it all on the front gate. I tried to vary the envelope colors and ribbons. I love it!!! it looks so pretty!!

Yet - no one stops.

No one.

I don’t think it makes me sad, as much as reminds me how different I must be from the majority of the world.

I COULD NOT walk by that display and not stop and explore. Literally, I know that I physically could not. I would be so curious, so excited, so engaged that I would stop my walk to read and take an envelope. And then I would go ring the doorbell and talk to the artist!

If I biked by, I would park my bike in a heartbeat. I couldn’t stand not knowing what I would’ve missed if I kept going.

And yes, even if I DROVE by, I would turn at the next corner, park, and walk back. I would have to!

But NO ONE STOPS.

And it is not that people haven’t NOTICED! Even as I have been sitting here writing this a man stopped and read the signs, but didn’t take an envelope… It baffles me!! I just know that I could never do that!!

Drivers have gotten honked at today (we live at the stop lights) for staring at the display and not moving fast enough when the light changed, and yet they didn’t pull over and get involved. One biker MIGHT have taken one this morning – she and her biking partner got stuck at the red light and they read the signs. She stayed back longer than he did, but I couldn’t see if she was willing to take part in the project.

I know of ONE PERSON who got involved (and trust me, I have been peeking out the windows and working on the front porch all day so I could see!!). It was a very sweet woman who came over to pick something up I was giving away in the local Buy Nothing group. I saw her walk down the stairs to leave with her item, stop, read the sign, and think. We had never met in real life, only online. But she was brave enough to walk back up the stairs and ring the doorbell. And we got to meet! And even talk and hug. It was terrific. She chose an envelope and when she opened it said that her “fortune” was something she had been thinking about. See – it is worth being a person who stops!!

Anyway, I wasn’t going to write about this until after the project was over. I want people to find it ORGANICALLY by happening upon it, not because I “advertised” it, you know? But I just have been thinking so much about it that I decided to share tonight.

I think there are still 48 envelopes waiting to be discovered.

48 treats. 48 fortunes. 48 ribbons.

But more than that, far more than that, 48 chances to stop.

P.S. - If you are reading this and live near me, the project will likely be back out tomorrow. It will come inside for nighttime - don't want it all to get damp!

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