We leave for Dresden tomorrow morning. I’ve been chomping at the bit for the last ten days. While I love rural landscapes; cows, birds, gardens – my bottom line requires a bit more remote stimulation that a largish town or small city can provide. I’m glad we’re leaving – for a more recent and challenging reason.
The house we’ve been living in has a small apartment downstairs in which an American couple – around our age (M and N) – have been staying. We’ve done a few things with them. They have a rental car and are a bit more flexible in their schedule than we are. It’s been pleasant. R and M (the male of the couple) have gone some rounds over liberalism, global warming and well, a few other things. But nothing requiring stitches. I stay mum mostly and talk with N about hobbies, the cost of food – chat, in other words.
They’ve been gone for a week or more- their style is to take car trips where ever the fancy takes them. A few weeks ago when they e-mailed me that they were in Sweden I thought they were joking. They weren’t. Tonight we went down stairs to say we were off to Dresden. M opened the door. Heard our chipper statement. Told us to “have a nice trip” and closed the door in our faces. I was astonished.
I can’t imagine what it is we might have done. We’ve paid for coffee, cake, lunch when possible as a thank you for the car availability. I think when they left for their last trip we were on good terms. Hmmmmm.
The social see saw that has always screwed with my sense of balance is clearly on tilt-o-mode. And I thought – wait – this is what social media is about … something happens, you are too far away to call a friend and “process”, so you blog about it.
While I haven’t left high school as far behind as I had hoped I have leapt into the 21st century and see yet another way to “stay in touch”.
I’m really looking forward to Dresden. Really.
