A Woman Feeding Ducks
It was a bright weekday morning, just past 7. My route would take me past a creek, athletic fields, ducks, geese, trees, squirrels and a homeless encampment that keeps growing in population and weirdness. But at least the city is picking up their garbage on a regular basis.
Something caught my eye as I walked along the former WPA-built casting pond now turned duck pond posted with signs telling people not to feed the birds.
To my left, I espied an older woman wearing pajama bottoms and a hoodie tossing bread to ducks in the pond and the grass. There must have been 15 or so ducks following her as she walked in circles.
Even from a distance, I could see her smiling and talking to the ducks.
It was obvious to me that she was living in the homeless encampment I would be traversing in a matter of seconds. Regular morning walkers in my upscale neighborhood don't dress like this and they certainly follow the rules when it comes to feeding the birds.
My heart stirred at the woman's defiance of the rules. She was out of her tent or RV or pallet shanty in the early morning on a fine day and communing with birds.
Tiny moments like this keep me buoyed, and inspire hope.