Walking in the Hood/Vision

Sometimes I go for a long walk around my neighbourhood – mainly so my knees don’t seize up (too many years of netball and volleyball (for which I'm way too short to play anyway)). There are nature reserves and creeks scattered throughout, and lots of trees. It’s a middle-class (whatever that means) suburb, established around the 1880’s, with interesting flora and fauna (including some loud possums), and featuring a lake and a Sikh Temple (there aren't many in Melbourne, so I think it's a feature). Prior to becoming a residential suburb it was home to paddocks and orchards. And prior to this it was home to Indigenous Australians, who inhabited the area way longer than anyone else.

Over the years, I’ve noticed three visually impaired people walking about. There’s a woman with a guide dog (a beautiful black Labrador who gives dirty looks to drivers who don’t stop AT THE PEDESTRIAN CROSSING to let the woman cross the road), a small-framed man who walks quietly with a gentle walking stick and a large-framed man who walks loudly with an aggressive walking stick. Being near a main railway station/mini bus depot, it’s a good area for people to live who don’t drive or don’t have a car (or who have an older car, ie me, which has a major breakdown at least once a year).

One time I approached the small-framed man. He was standing on a street corner looking like he might be waiting to cross the road, so I asked him if he needed assistance. But, since I have little control over my vocal chords, it came out as “DO YOU NEED ASSISTANCE!?”. He politely declined, but I wondered if I’d scared the shit out of him and he just wanted me to go away.

Then there’s the large-framed man. He’s wild. I'm a little frightened of him. Nothing is safe from his walking stick; not trees, not fences, not even small children and puppies. I’ve seen him crossing roads with reckless abandon. I’m guessing his view is that a driver should stop their car if they see a person with a walking stick crossing the road. And anyone who disagrees with this, say a driver who beeps their horn, would find themselves beaten senseless with a walking stick. Quite rightly. Sometimes I have had self-pity that my eyesight is so poor and that I have to wear glasses – glasses that enable me to see with 20/20 vision and not have to use a walking stick! One day I should go for a walk without my glasses – give myself some perspective.

I'm concerned that the previous paragraph might seem like I was mocking the large-framed man (I'm actually editing this post the next day). This wasn't my intention. The words were written with admiration and affection. If his walking style reflects his attitude to life then I like his attitude. I wonder if he is naturally a fast walker (like me) and so a more assertive walking stick technique would be necessary. Or, if his hearing isn't the best, he may need to make more noise with his stick to find his path. I've thought about having a chat with him but I'm worried that if I approach him with: "nice weather we're having", it might come out as "NICE WEATHER WE'RE HAVING!".