We Ride At Dawn

I can’t be the only one feeling down.

And stressed.

And nervous.

And angry.

And confused.

And just about every other negative emotion that could be listed.

There is just so much ANGST in the world right now, especially with the upcoming elections in the US.  And sometimes (at least for deep feelers like myself) it just feels like a little too much to bear.

But then I get a reminder.

A reminder that even in the midst of all of these sleepless nights and fret – there IS good in the world.

I got 2 reminders recently, and I thought I should share them in case you haven’t had any.  I don’t know, I guess with the hopes that the reminders I came across will help boost your spirits a bit, too.

Here’s the first one.

This hat.

We came home the other day and this was hanging on our front doorknob.  Now, we have had a LOT of things left on our porch over the years – rusty cans of soup, brand new snow boots, and everything in between – but this was the first time a hat custom made just for me was left out there. 

No note.  Just this sweet hat that says Kindness Rules! waiting for me.

Made me smile.  I have worn it while going out to fill the pantry.  At first I was a little embarrassed at what passersby might think to see a grown woman wearing a Burger King crown (modified, of course, but still…).  But then instead of embarrassed, I grew proud. 

“See my new hat??” I said to a complete stranger.  “Umm, yeah, that’s fancy,” she replied.

Thank you whoever took the time to make this sweet hat.  It made me feel happy and special and reminded me that there is good.

Then this morning.  I was sitting on the sofa eating and watching the news (I know, I know, cut back on the news and maybe I wouldn’t be so full of fear and anger…).  Someone rang the doorbell.

The door was open and I could see who it was out there – a man, tall, my age or a bit older, in a corduroy jacket and nice pants.  I didn’t recognize him.  Honestly, I didn’t want to answer.  But he had seen me when I saw him, so I didn’t have a choice really.

As I approached I thought he might be a police officer out of uniform.  We had a big scene right on our corner last night with loads of police presence – lights flashing and street blocked off for a long time, they even had the SWAT team out there.  I thought, “Maybe this is an officer coming to fill us in about that or ask us what we know for an investigation”.  So, I answered the door.

Turns out it wasn’t a cop.  Instead, it was a shy, polite fellow.  He seemed like an introvert and was a bit nervous to be approaching a stranger.

“Hi.  Ummm, I pass your house every day on my way home from work.  Last night…” his voice trailed off, he wasn’t sure what to say.

“Oh, the police!” I filled in the blank for him.

“Yes.  Yes, the police.  So many.  Umm, was it…  Was it this house??” he asked, sounding very worried.  

“Oh no!” I assured him.  “We were not even home!  By the time we got back only 2 police cars were there.”

He looked so relieved. 

This man, this complete stranger, mustered up the courage to pull over and ring the doorbell to check on people he had never met.

“I was worried,” he told me.  “I pass your house.  I love it.  The signs.  The feeling.  I was scared something had been done against you.”

 

I almost cried. 

We stood out in the fresh air and talked, this stranger and I.  I told him how happy I was that our Ruth Bader Ginsberg sign had lasted months in the yard with no vandalism.  He had obviously seen the Cat Ladies sign, the Kamala sign, the sign for our local candidate.  I explained about the theft of our pride flag and how sad that made me, but that 99.99% of the people who interact with us are good people.

Somehow, he knew.  He knew this was a safe place to pull over and “get out of the storm” a few minutes.

He explained how he is scared to put a sign in his window.  He can’t put one in the yard due to his HOA, but he could put one in the window.  If only…  If only there was not the constant fear of violence and meanness.  His wife is an immigrant, making the whole thing 5 million times worse I presume.

I called David outside.  We talked.  We joked.  We even laughed a bit.  “We ride at dawn!” I cheered as the 3 of us giggled.

He took a card and a pen out of his pocket.  He scrawled his name and phone number and handed it to me before he left.  We all shook hands.  I gave him a sign that said something neutral like, “Let’s Go Forward”.  I doubt he puts it in the window (concern for his wife’s safety), but a gift felt in order.

 

I am not sure if we will see him again.  he will undoubtedly see us as he drives by daily.  Maybe in the garden, or filling the pantry, or having a water balloon fight on a hot day or a cocoa stand in winter.  I hope he is brave enough to pull over again and talk.  I didn’t think to thank him today.

Thank him for reminding me that there is good in the world.

There are strangers who care.  Who will muster all of their courage, walk up the porch steps, and ring the bell.  Just to make sure someone is safe from harm.

Thanks Peter. 

We ride at dawn, new friend.  We ride at dawn.