My wife and step daughter (Canadian) both prefer tea.
* * *
Does anyone believe they have 'Clarence' looking out for them?
(It's a Wonderful Life reference there for anyone wondering who Clarence is
)
When I first started work (1973) I used to pass this guy in a fairly grubby gabardine raincoat walking home and back at lunchtimes. He was always going in the opposite direction to me. Nothing unusual about that; he would have been on a different lunch break to me.
But then I changed offices and my new route took me in another direction and by car; getting a lift from my dad. I'd see the same man in the mornings going in the opposite direction. Again, nothing odd; he would have been walking to where we both previously worked.
Then my dad moved to a new workplace and I had to get the bus. The bus didn't go by the same route and I still had a 15 minute walk when I got off. Now I was passing him on that walk.
Now, he could have been walking to the same workplace as before. Except that it would have been a long walk and he'd be very late. But maybe he had moved home or was working somewhere else.
Then I moved to the other side of the city and my route to work was North to South instead of South to North. And guess what?
Some mornings I'd see this guy in the same grubby gabardine raincoat. I'd still be passing him so he'd still be going in the opposite direction. So, now, he couldn't possibly be going to the same workplace...although he could be travelling from the same place. But that would mean a completely different shift (and there were no shifts there) and a very very long walk.
After 18 months I moved back to my parents' home so I was now back on the first bus route I mentioned. And again, I'd pass him as previously.
Next, I changed workplaces again. I still got the same bus but I stayed on it longer and got off close to the office. That didn't really leave much room to see him.
But if I left work early for a dental appointment I'd see him then. Always going in the other direction. Always in that grubby raincoat.
Now I'll cut out the detail but suffice to say that once in a while I'd pass him no matter what home/office route, if I was coming home early or going in late and bizarrely one time when I'd gone in a completely different route because of a doctor's appointment. It left me getting a different bus at a different time of day in a totally different direction...and I still passed him.
Once I even saw him when I'd taken the morning off for a job interview and it was mid-morning when I passed him.
By now I had long since made comments to people about him being my Guardian Angel - or was I his?
I even saw him walking along a street near my last home. Unless visiting or living there there would be no reason for that route. He looked the worse for wear. He had the same grubby coat. This must have been 25 years after I first saw him.
I did see him again since and he looked better.
I've lived in Canada since 2004. And guess who I saw yesterday.........
Just kidding.
(It's a Wonderful Life reference there for anyone wondering who Clarence is
)When I first started work (1973) I used to pass this guy in a fairly grubby gabardine raincoat walking home and back at lunchtimes. He was always going in the opposite direction to me. Nothing unusual about that; he would have been on a different lunch break to me.
But then I changed offices and my new route took me in another direction and by car; getting a lift from my dad. I'd see the same man in the mornings going in the opposite direction. Again, nothing odd; he would have been walking to where we both previously worked.
Then my dad moved to a new workplace and I had to get the bus. The bus didn't go by the same route and I still had a 15 minute walk when I got off. Now I was passing him on that walk.
Now, he could have been walking to the same workplace as before. Except that it would have been a long walk and he'd be very late. But maybe he had moved home or was working somewhere else.
Then I moved to the other side of the city and my route to work was North to South instead of South to North. And guess what?
Some mornings I'd see this guy in the same grubby gabardine raincoat. I'd still be passing him so he'd still be going in the opposite direction. So, now, he couldn't possibly be going to the same workplace...although he could be travelling from the same place. But that would mean a completely different shift (and there were no shifts there) and a very very long walk.
After 18 months I moved back to my parents' home so I was now back on the first bus route I mentioned. And again, I'd pass him as previously.
Next, I changed workplaces again. I still got the same bus but I stayed on it longer and got off close to the office. That didn't really leave much room to see him.
But if I left work early for a dental appointment I'd see him then. Always going in the other direction. Always in that grubby raincoat.
Now I'll cut out the detail but suffice to say that once in a while I'd pass him no matter what home/office route, if I was coming home early or going in late and bizarrely one time when I'd gone in a completely different route because of a doctor's appointment. It left me getting a different bus at a different time of day in a totally different direction...and I still passed him.
Once I even saw him when I'd taken the morning off for a job interview and it was mid-morning when I passed him.
By now I had long since made comments to people about him being my Guardian Angel - or was I his?
I even saw him walking along a street near my last home. Unless visiting or living there there would be no reason for that route. He looked the worse for wear. He had the same grubby coat. This must have been 25 years after I first saw him.
I did see him again since and he looked better.
I've lived in Canada since 2004. And guess who I saw yesterday.........
Just kidding.
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