Other People

Of course, the big lessons
came from family members,
teachers,
the major players in your life.

But there were other,
less obvious people, too.

You know who they were-
a neighbor
whose kids you played with,
that older couple
who walked by your house
every afternoon,
the woman you cannot name
who sat in front of you
at church on Sundays
in her cardigan sweater
and sensible skirt.

For whatever reason,
your mind flagged them as models.
“Yes, that is how I want to do it,”
something inside of you said.
Without knowing it,
you observed,
took notes.

It is not until years later,
decades maybe,
that you realize
they are a part of the patchwork
you pieced together
that serves as a pattern
for your days.

And they will never know that.

Because by the time
you figure it out,
they are long gone,
or you never really knew them
to begin with.

Or because
how do you thank someone
for just living the way they lived
so that you could observe
and take notes?

By Maria Brady-Smith
Photo by Mike Smith