When Life Gives You Lemons...

I met Eric today. He's the kind, cheerful man who cleans my building and takes my garbage out. He was cleaning the stairs as I was lugging my all-season tires down to my storage area and I mentioned how lovely and lemony it smelled.

Eric and I have never spoken. I've lived here for a year and a half and we've done no more than politely nod in passing. But today something about that lemon scent prompted me to speak and, perhaps equally motivated by the citrus, prompted him to respond. We talked for a good five minutes before he invited me for a tour of the empty apartment above me.

I've been curious about that place since I moved in. From the street outside, it looks amazing. Plus, it's double my rent, so it's got to be rather spectacular. I didn't even have to ask, Eric could just tell I wanted to see it. And it was beautiful. I can see why the person who will rent that place will be more than willing to pay twice as much.

Thing is, as I walked away from the apartment today I wasn't thinking about the master bedroom with two entrances ("One for you and one for the boyfriend," Eric says) or the living room with a fireplace and huge windows overlooking the street (newly installed)... I was thinking about what a shame it is that today is the first day that Eric and I have ever spoken.

In my heart, I am a person who knows my neighbours. I am a person who values community and who wants to live in harmony with the world. I am a person who knows the name of my bus driver and my mail carrier and the man who cleans my building. I'm realizing more and more that my life really needs to do some changing in order to reflect my heart...