Friday, October 5, 2007

Winter's coming; take a walk

Winter and cold will soon be here. It's the thing about fall that makes me kind of blue. While the days are so gorgeous here in New England, and nature is pulling out all the stops like the horse smelling the barn, I still can't help but think of the dark and cold and wet that soon will be here for so long.

I hate to use the word bittersweet because it's so overused and so cliche and sappy, but that's a bit what it's like. I, like I'm assuming many people, can hold and feel two opposing emotions like joy and despair at the same time. Weird, and it makes for some interesting and frustrating interplay with some people, mostly those who are concrete with their feet planted firmly on the ground. Serious types who insist on the world being black and white.

So...on my commute I've been getting off the train at Back Bay and taking the Orange Line to Chinatown, one stop before Downtown Crossing where this winter I'll be able to get off and keep dry by ducking under overhangs on the short walk to the office. Now, I stroll up Washington Street while I can still enjoy the nice weather.

Downtown Crossing/Washington Street is still vibrant, despite the construction on the Filene's Building that caused all of those vendors to vacate. At that hour workers and street people co-mingle. The constant flow of people delights me. An Asian nun gives way to a heavy-set woman with a small tattoo on her jiggling bosom. Another heavy-set woman pushes a stroller with one hand and walks a small chew-toy dog with the other. It's getting late in the season, but two tourists orient themselves to that standard map the info centers hand out. Rounding the corner of the Filene's Building, I almost run smack into one of those bicycle-riding Boston cops. I try a smile but his work is grim and serious; he wants no part of it.

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