Timing is Everything

Sometimes people share the same rhythm. Occasionally I will notice that someone is unknowingly running on my schedule. Recently I have shared my clock with an elderly man that works in my building. Each morning we stand side-by-side waiting on the parking garage elevator to take us to work and each evening we step out of it and walk to our cars and drive out into our lives. He reminds me of my Uncle Albert. He is thin and always well dressed in a colorful sports jacket. Today it was sunflower yellow. His southern accent is of the old and rare variety and a bit of honey hangs on the end of his words.

“High theya, how ar yu do en?”
“Is this rayn eva gonna to let up?”

There is a slight frailty about him and he seems to be four or five years beyond retirement age. I sometimes find myself worrying about him on days when we are out of sync.

“Did he die?”
“Is he sick?”
“Does he have anyone to take care of him?”

Luckily, he always shows up within a day or two and I am relieved. Sometimes I think that I should introduce myself to him but something always makes me stop. For whatever reason the teeth in the cogs of our lives have lined up perfectly and that seems enough.