Recognition

Walking home from the pool yesterday I noticed that my street was having it's storm drains cleaned out by a giant vacuum tube snaked out of a big white truck. It looked like an elephant trunk and smelled like a sewer. There was a policeman standing in the shade of a tree wearing a yellow glow vest over his blue uniform. He was there to direct passing cars around the vehicle but there were none. He greeted me. "A nice day for a walk."

"Yes it is, I just went swimming so I feel like I am walking on a cloud," I said.

"That's good exercise."

"I love the water, it makes me feel centered and calm. Our YMCA pool is the most amazing pool around because we have a clerestory of windows. The building used to be a post office. The light coming in from above is inspiring, like an artist's studio. I tell people it's like a church filled with water."

"And that's a nice hat you've got."

"Thanks. I love it. Portable shade! I got it at Autumnfest about 4 years ago and I am trying to keep it alive."

"Well have a good day!"

A few hours later my husband and I were in Price Rite picking out bananas and I saw a face I recognized. "Hey I think that's the police officer who was directing traffic on my street today," I said to my husband. But he was now wearing a gray T-shirt and shorts and he was picking out peppers. He no longer had the police hat and yellow vest on.

"Hi, I think I saw you directing traffic on my street today."

"Yes you did."

"I was wearing a hat," I said, just in case he didn't know which person he spoke to.

"It was a great hat. I remember."

I'm usually wearing it in the summer when I'm walking my dog. So people call me the hat lady or the dog lady."

"I am surprised you recognized me without my uniform."

"I remember faces," I said. And just as I said that I spotted a woman who used to live on my street. She was selecting plantains. I'd see her walking her grand-daughter to school every morning. She has since moved to another neighborhood. I waved. She came over to say hello and we hugged.