On Monday of this week, on my daily walk around town (I'm lying, my walk only encompasses half of the town) a town employee called me over to his pickup. He handed me a walking stick saying he'd gotten it "somewhere" and thought of me.
A brand new walking stick, with the tag still on it. It was a nice gift. I have a glut of walking sticks but I switch them up depending on my mood. And this one has a metal defensive spike under the rubber tip! So I do appreciate it.
I thanked him and continued on my way.
But I must admit, I'm a little uncomfortable with government employees thinking of me in any context.
I know I'm a bit of an oddity, and I stand out. I'm going to get noticed. I'm friendly with everyone I encounter on my walks, which sometimes leads to pauses of a half hour or more as I talk to someone who just needs someone to listen. But I don't know this guy. I was totally caught by surprise. At least he isn't a cop.
My walks bring a lot of interesting things into my life. You ought to try it if you don't already.
