Sunday, May 25, 2008

Equilibrium of sorts

I started thinking maybe something is wrong. Maybe my equilibrium is off or I am losing hand muscle coordination, but then I smack myself into reality and recognize that there is no pattern here of dropping things with my right hand, say, or stumbling forward when I first stand up. All unrelated coincidences. Although sometimes lately when I get up to go to the bathroom during the night I feel like I am swaying, unable to walk straight.

* * *

I keep running into the blind man who lives next door. I saw him in the East Village earlier this week - I recognized both him and his dog, who once again was being difficult by running towards other dogs it passed, dragging his owner with him. It was really odd to see him in another neighborhood, another borough. I almost said hello, but then thought, I've never greeted him before, he can't recognize me by sight, how do I expect him to realize who I am, that I live on his block?

Today he and the dog were sitting in the park, he with his ukulele/guitar (I'm not really sure what it is.) After I was there a few minutes they stood to leave, and of course the dog headed over to a woman on a nearby bench to say hi, dragging the man again. He managed to get him out onto the sidewalk and then the dog started into the street, between two parked cars - I thought he was going to dash into traffic but apparently the man understood, for he let go of the harness and took up the longer leash, stepped back on the curb, and waited for the dog to circle, squat, and do his business. I forced myself not to look until they had gone, not wanting to see the blind man groping around for the dog's pile, but also not wanting to know if he was just going to leave it.

There was a large pile just outside the building yesterday. They used to be all over the block, but have slowed down some. I have never wanted to think it's the seeing-eye dog, but really, why do I assume that the blind man is a nice conscientious guy who diligently cleans up after his dog? Just because he's blind doesn't mean he's good. He could be a total prick.

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