That's Life: Listen to the Cricket
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Well, I could have used a Jiminy Cricket to guide me away from the wrong path the other afternoon.
Earlier, in a supermarket, I bought among other things, a new grill to use on my patio. It was heavy and the carton in which it was packed was cumbersome, so when I paid for my purchases at the check-out counter, I asked the clerk if one of the "boys" would be able to carry it to my car.
"Bill," the clerk called out to a boy who was bagging groceries, "This lady needs help." Bill grabbed the carton plus a cloth bag containing my groceries, as if they were light as air. (Ah, youth!)
But when I arrived at the condominium complex where I live, there were no "boys" waiting to help me with my packages.
A 90-pound weakling minus 4 pounds, I would not be able to carry my purchases to my unit, even if I parked at the curb in front of the building in which I live. What to do? Well, I could probably manage to drag it from the car to the patio, I said to myself. But to reach the patio, I would have to drive on the lawn, which is a big no-no, according to the rules set by the condominium's board of trustees. Well, this once would not hurt the lawn, I reasoned.
Then, as I inched my car cautiously onto the grass, I realized that you never know who is watching. There are people in the condominium who seem to enjoy snooping. I have deduced that some of them just like making trouble for others, reporting to the trustees the least infractions of rules. "They put their blankets out to air on the patio," they have said.No, I was not the guilty one, but the subject was brought up at a condominium meeting and subsequently a bulletin was issued to all unit owners restating the rules regarding use of the patios and decks.
My heart goes out to one woman who seems to be constantly sitting at the window, looking out. She is homebound. How stifling to the spirit it must be to never mingle with people, to walk in the fresh air, go for a drive on the spur of the moment.
After dragging, pushing, poking, the grill onto my patio, I went to the computer to see if I had received any e-mails. There were three waiting for me, but the first one I pulled up was under the subject: "Driving on the Lawn."
"Someone complained about your driving on the lawn," a member of the condominium's board of trustees had written. "It is against the rules and sets a bad example."
I e-mailed my apologies, but explained that I had to unload a heavy item. And I ended with, "Understanding your position, I will never give you reason to repeat your request."While I do not condone breaking rules, I found that driving on the lawn brought unexpected favorable results; The next e-mail I received from the board member read, "My main purpose in sending the original e-mail was to prevent you from injuring yourself. If you need help, come to me."
Yes, it is nice when neighbor helps neighbor, but I do not want to be a pest. I cannot return favors when it comes to performing chores that require physical strength.
I have been reduced to providing such minor assistance as taking photos of couples. I have done that dozens of times on Spring Street, where tourists meander. When I see one of them snapping a photo of the other, I always ask, "Would you like a photo of the two of you together?" I will never know if those photos were satisfactory as I do not expect to bump into those people again as they live in distant places, some having traveled from Greece and Britain. Though we were strangers, we chatted on Spring Street as if we were long-lost friends. I have observed that some people are comfortable revealing confidences to a person they will never see again.
I could write a book, sharing what I have heard over the years. But, that would be unkind, and I would not sink that low, even for a story. Hmm. I guess I do have a Jiminy Cricket sitting on my shoulder. He just must have been sleeping the day I drove on the lawn.
