Posted in noticing

Who’s watching?

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Quilia on Unsplash

The sky was fully blue when I saw the big dog watching the sky. She’ll often notice a low-flying hawk or a high-flying jet followed by its contrail.

This morning was different. A couple of silvery objects wandered back and forth overhead. Drones. I don’t think anyone was spying. Probably from a realtor or contractor.

But you never know. It made me wonder, “Who’s watching?”

The short answer is, “Everybody.”

Cameras watch every intersection. They watch you entering, shopping, and checking out in stores. Someone’s watching at ATMs and banks. TSA grabs a picture at security. Potential buyers “watch” your online listings, hoping you’ll drop the price.

That’s just the tech. What about the people?

After a few minutes at a car dealership, a salesperson who saw you will engage in conversation. A voice from somewhere says, “Welcome in,” as you enter a store. At restaurants, someone is watching to see if your water needs refilling. The dog is watching as you prepare food in the kitchen, knowing that something will fall to the floor. Friendly greeters watch for you to walk up the church entrance. A patrol officer is watching from a car just out of sight along the highway. Neighbors keep an eye on my house when I’m out of town.

And then there’s the children. Kids are always watching. What are you doing? What are you eating? Where are you going? Why are you doing that? Inches from your napping face they ask, “Are you asleep?”

Someone is always watching. Is it possible to disappear? Not completely. There are too many eyes out there.

Nevertheless, some feel invisible. No one notices them. No one would miss them. No one sees them. Which translates, “No one cares.”

Be the one who notices. Smile. Say, “Hello.” Ask a question. Validate someone’s presence. It only takes a second to make them feel like somebody.

Posted in morning

Another sunrise

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Every sunrise is different. Every sunrise makes me pause in wonder. Every sunrise prompts me to take a picture.

The clouds looked like a thousand little cotton balls in the sky. The sun was small but intense as it peeked over the distant trees. The dark of night surrendered to morning pinks, golds and blues.

I could tell the air was a few degrees cooler as I headed out the door. The humidity hadn’t yet arrived, a recipe for a wonderful walk.

In the early morning hours, I rarely think about the day before. I anticipate the people I’ll encounter, lunch with someone, some of things I want to get done, and always what I’m going to write about. It’s a hopeful, imaginative, and inspiring time of any day.

Posted in party

The party’s not over yet

Posted on by William Douthwaite

I passed this impressive inflatable waterslide several times over the weekend. This one is a beast, taking up an entire front yard. I think I first saw it on Friday night, the party was on Saturday, and here it is pre-dawn Sunday morning. It’s not only still inflated, but the water’s running, too.

Maybe it’s just me, but that seems like a long time to leave the power on and the water running. I always thought that you’d want to turn everything off once the party was over. At least overnight. But maybe the rental people told them to just let it stay as is.

The inflatable party rental business is huge. I see them in yards every weekend. It’s a lot of work, too. These monsters must weigh a ton, requiring delivery, set up, tear down, and removal. I’ve watched. It’s impressive. And it’s fun. Few things light up kids’ faces like a big waterslide. It gets a little rough, and sometimes someone gets hurt. Not to worry. A few minutes later, they will be right back in there.

When I checked out local rental websites, I saw some that were thirty feet tall and twenty-six feet long. Wow! It’ll set you back about $600, but you’ll all have a blast!

Posted in cookies

More sprinkles

Posted on by William Douthwaite

It’s not a celebration until the sprinkles come out!

In preparation for our nation’s semiquincentennial, the three granddaughters went all out with cookies, icing, and sprinkles. Once we baked the star and USA-shaped cookies, they got to work with red and white icing and patriotic sprinkles.

The best moment of the decorating was when one of them heaped on a 1/2-inch stack of red, white, and blue sprinkles and asked, “Is that enough?”

A cardinal rule of cookie decorating is that a cookie cannot have too many sprinkles. If you think you do, you need more. Sprinkles falling onto the floor? You must need more icing! And then more sprinkles.

Posted in neighbor, neighborhood

Shorty-short mailboxes

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Okay, this will be my last mailbox piece. At least for a while.

Today’s topic: short mailboxes.

I chuckle every time I walk by these two mailboxes. They are short. Really short. They struggle to max out a two feet. USPS indicates a height of 41 to 45 inches to the bottom.

So why have a shorty-short mailbox?

The gracious answer: the person is in a wheelchair or scooter. That’s what they can reach. Their house has lower counters and lower shelves, to accommodate their limited reach.

Or perhaps they are just short people. One doesn’t use the word midget any more. So maybe it’s a little person or person with dwarfism. For them, a mailbox like this works.

Bad installation? Maybe. Someone didn’t buy a long enough 4×4. Or got carried away pounding one into the ground. They were too lazy to change it, so they just cut it off and made it fit. Who cares? It’s mostly junk mail anyway.

It could have been a former mailbox casualty, fixed and restored. After discarding the broken pieces, this is what was left. Good enough.

I’ll try not to chuckle too much when I pass these homes. Short mailboxes have feelings, too.

Posted in neighborhood

It’s not easy being a mailbox

Posted on by William Douthwaite

It’s been a rough week for mailboxes in our neighborhood. Every morning I notice new ones that have been attacked and left for dead.

A few years ago, it looked like someone drove down the street with a baseball bat, taking out a whole row of roadside mailboxes. I’ve seen the latest rash of violence in front of random houses. Whoever it was didn’t just take a swing at the mailbox, but intentionally knocked down whole posts.

I suppose this is how some have fun late at night. I don’t know who they are, but they are bold. When most houses have doorbell cameras, someone is going to see you. You’re going to get caught.

I know most mailboxes are just plain ugly. Even brand new ones only look attractive for a few months. The Florida sun and heat quickly takes its toll.

My mailbox is intact. For now.

Posted in preaching

Too political? I hope so!

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Chase Kennedy on Unsplash

The other day, I heard about a pastor who refused to preach on topics he deemed “political.”

Really?

I’d expect his sermons to be very short since our culture has politicized everything from choosing a state insect to off-shore power generation to dog licenses. Never mind issues about beginning and end of life, marriage, immigration, and homelessness.

Plus, Jesus was political.

The angel Gabriel told Mary that her son would have the throne of his father David. If we’re talking about a king, we’re talking politics.

Jesus’s first sermon was, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand” (4:17). A kingdom? We’re talking politics. By the way, John the Baptist preached the same message.

Jesus went throughout all Galilee proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom (Matthew 4:23). He sent his disciples out with the same message (10:7).

On Palm Sunday, Jesus was hailed as king as he rode into Jerusalem. He advocated paying taxes to Rome. He told governor Pilate about his kingdom. The sign over his head on the cross hailed him as the king of the Jews.

If Jesus was anything, he was political.

  • Do you want to talk to Jesus about that unborn baby? Go ahead. He knit that infant together in his mother’s womb. Give it your best shot.
  • Do you want to talk to Jesus about end-of-life pain and suffering? Go ahead. Better yet, do so while he’s dying on the cross.
  • Do you want to talk to Jesus about all the undocumented immigrants? Don’t forget he came from out of town.
  • Want to talk to Jesus about homelessness? Fine. He had no place to lay his head. Tell him all about it.

Please don’t portray Jesus as apolitical. He’s right there in the mix. You don’t have to agree with him. You don’t have to like him or his opinion. But don’t avoid the discussion.

Hey, preacher, your flock wants to know what Jesus has to say about all of these things. Don’t deny them. You don’t have to take sides. Just preach the word.

Posted in dogs, noticing

Just slow down

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by LOGAN WEAVER | @LGNWVR on Unsplash

I used to time myself.

I would crank up Map My Run on my phone and time my walk. I would check my pace, elapsed time, and my route. Could I walk under 16 minutes per mile? Let’s see! Pick up the pace, big dog!

But lately, I’ve left that all behind. I’ve started slowing down to notice what the big dog notices.

For her, it’s all about the squirrels and bunnies. I can barely see my way down the street, and she sees the bunnies on the side of the road. She never misses a squirrel scampering across the street. My eyes aren’t that good. Not in the early morning light.

She sees other walkers and dog walkers from hundreds of yards away. She catches them way off in the distance. Little dogs, big dogs, couples, joggers, and one older guy who walks by. Now I see them coming, too.

Surprisingly, she also picks up on hawks, airplanes, and drones. Somehow she knows where there are interesting things overhead. She glances up and follows them flying by. I stop and look up, too.

When I’m moving slower, I notice the colors in the sky. Mostly pinks and oranges at dawn. They only last a moment, so I have to pay attention. And I’m glad I do.

She remembers, too. She remembers where every other dog in the neighborhood lives. As we approach and pass each house, she gets excited. I forgot; she remembers. That spaniel. Or that chihuahua. The pretty golden retriever. The sheepdog mix. The woofing mixed breed. She remembers.

Singing birds? She hears them. Cardnals. Bluebirds. Mockingbirds. Crows. Hawks. Sparrows. They all start singing at the same time. They all got the memo. They wake up the morning (and me) with their song.

The big dog jumps when a dumpster bangs, an engine backfires, a key fob beeps, an air conditioner starts up, or a garage door opens. What? What’s that? She hears everything.

So now I notice, see, and hear everything. And you know what? It’s worth slowing down.

Posted in dogs

Spa day

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Somehow he knows.

I didn’t say a word. He can’t see my calendar. Even if he could, I don’t think he can read.

But Winston knows when it’s grooming day. And he loves grooming day!

He laid on the floor in the bathroom and stared at me while I took a shower. After I dressed, he sat by the back door, impatiently waiting for me. I didn’t even have to leash him. Winston runs to the van, jumps in shotgun, and looks out the window, tail vibrating with excitement.

As we head down the street, I open the window and let him enjoy the breeze. I think he feels like a superdog with the wind whipping through his hair, flooding his nose with scents. He watches people in their cars with curiosity. He jumps out of the van and pulls me to the door of the groomer, tail wagging ten times a second. He jumps up to lick the front desk person. Jumps up onto the washing station.

Winston loves his spa day!