Growing a Community

 I continue to walk Sunshine in the evenings at Surprise Community Park.  I still talk to strangers who are becoming less strange and more community friends.   Today I said hello to Larry, a gentleman I see walking in the park whenever I am there after 6:30 pm.  Larry, I discovered, has walked around the lake seven days a week for 11 years!  He moved here from Pensacola, Florida where his father built the first house in Pensacola in 1946, after the war.  Larry raised his three sons on the family farm near the border with Alabama.  None of his sons wanted to farm, so they leased it and the boys went in different directions.  11 years ago Larry and one son bought an Auto Glass franchise here and that's how they came to Surprise.  They sold the auto shop 2 months ago and now the son will do missionary work, running a distribution center, in Africa.

I'm an intellectual snob.  Larry didn't know that Africa is more than one country, that it's a continent.  He doesn't know where exactly his son will be going.  I found myself having to think very carefully to guard my words and not come off as an Academic snob.  What I am learning about myself, is that I have more in common with others who are more intellectual, who have more formal education.  Even though Larry and his family are probably quite well off.  It's not about the money, it's about the learning.

This evening I also met little Jayhanna (I'm not sure that I have all the syllables in the correct places.). I would guess she is about 10, very outgoing and well spoken.  Her dad was at the park playing pick up basketball while Jayhanna was drawn to Sunshine and asked if she could walk her.  Sunshine didn't protest, but didn't wander too far away from me so Jayhanna sat on the bench near me holding Sunshine's leash.  It seems that Jayhanna loves dogs and plans on becoming a veterinarian.  In the meantime, she baby-sits, or dog sits to be more accurate.   Her mother drops her at a customer's house where Jayhanna plays with the dog, does some training, and collects $2. for her time.  The dollars are growing in a piggy bank at home which has a password, all numbers, and from which no money goes out, only in.   She was a little put off when I told her that I wouldn't be paying her for walking Sunshine because walking Sunshine in the park was something that I loved to do.  We agree that another time, if I needed dog walking service, I could hire her.

Cornelius the Fisherman was at the park as well.  The first time I spotted him this evening he said he hadn't caught anything, but while I stood with him, he did.  Each time I circled the lake he caught another catfish until he had reached his limit of 4.  For Cornelius, I'm his good luck.  I want to ask him why he doesn't fix his teeth, the lack of which (he's missing the four lower front teeth) makes him looks considerably older than his 60 years.  I won't ask.

It has been a very full day.  My Surprise Park family is growing.  They aren't strangers any longer.   

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