Misconceptions

Many times I think that most of us judge something or someone by the first impression. We often don't give that thing or person a chance and really get to know what's going on.

There's a home in my neighborhood that has at least two (what appears to be) brothers living there. An old swing set occupies part of the yard that looks onto a busy road. Most days, even in the heart of winter, both people can be seen sitting on the swing set watching the traffic. A lot of people honk at them as they go by as if they know them. However, occasionally there will be an outburst that can be heard throughout the neighborhood by one of them. Usually yelling at the neighbors that live across the street from them.

The people that live at this house are a little "rough around the edges" and both have some physical disability as one walks with a cane and the other uses a wheelchair. They appear to be in their late '60's. I have never approached either of them in the two years I've lived here as they live across the busy street from us and I don't tend to use that sidewalk. However, that changed yesterday.

We had just finished our garage sale and there was one item, an old workbench, that hadn't sold which we figured someone would pick up if we left a free sign on it. Within five minutes of putting it at the end of the driveway, the one brother drove over and picked up half of the workbench (it was in two halves...the bench and the accompanying peg board) and walked home with it. When he came back he got his cane out of the car and started up the driveway. It was just my mother and me at home as my dad had left to take the rest of the unsold items to Goodwill. I was nervous at first about what was going to happen next. I ended up getting up and meeting him halfway up the driveway. He said he was interested in the other half of the workbench, but didn't have a way to get it back to his house until someone came over the help. When I asked him if I could take the free sign off and hold it for him, he politely declined and said since it may be more than one week before someone would be over to help, that if anyone else wanted it they could have it. He then thanked us and was on his way.

As my mom and I talked about it later that evening, we had a new respect for this person that sits at his swing set and watches the traffic go by. He is the neighborhood watch person...while he yells at the traffic if it is speeding, it's his way of protecting the neighborhood. As for his occasional loud outburst at his neighbors, I am positive that they are picking on him because based on my interaction with him yesterday...if you treat him with respect he'll do the same thing to you.

As the old saying goes...never judge a book by it's cover. The same holds true for people.