Often times at the market, people discover I live upstairs (in the barn) and give me their address, saying "drop by anytime". Most people do in fact mean it. Today (it's really horrible because I don't know her name - I'm brutal with names - but for the sake of the story it'll be Mel) Mel, who has been to the market before, was telling me how she lives in East Sooke, just down the road. Down the road implies further along the peninsula.Mel, like several others gave me her green number and said "drop by anytime". Seeing that I hadn't been to the end of the peninsula, and wanted to get some exercise, I biked to her place. I rode into her driveway, got off my biked and just stood there. At the end of the peninsula is a beautiful view of the ocean. Her and her husband don't live quite at the end, but it was good enough. After finishing a glass of water and an apple, we walked down to the ocean.
Sitting on a log, with this stranger, staring at the ocean, I thoroughly enjoyed her company. She works with fundraising for the Victoria hospital. All day Mel sits with seniors, drinking tea, who feel obliged to give back to the community that they love. Mel was saying that she gets to see the best of people, every day at work. It was a refreshing conversation, due to both the ocean breeze and the optimistic social commentary.
After our chat, we walked back to her house, I thanked her for the company, and I rode my bike home, flying up and down the winding hills of East Sooke, past the second generation firs and along the glimmering ocean water. I rode by the barn to the back of the property, to the gate between Ragley farm and Bev and Murray's. I walked right to the pond and jumped in.
Satisfied.
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