i walked bagel to the other side of kempsford this afternoon. i come across an older white gentleman with a retired navy hat on waving to every car and every body who passed his way. his beard was as white as snow and he had clear tubes in his nose. i asked him how he was, to which he responded with a smirk on his face that he was “still kickin.” he then asked me if bagel was walking me or if i was walking bagel. i laughed and introduced myself. he seemed out of breath, so to avoid him wasting more breath on pronouncing my first name correctly, i told him my name was dave. he apparently walks every day before or after supper. we had a short exchange of words as we went our separate ways. the last thing he says to me is it’s good to be alive.
i thought of that as i waved to everybody on my way back home.
-ratha, 3:18pm, 10.30.17