These things happened today. Driving in the car this afternoon, we passed a car parked on the side of the road and saw that it was on fire. Yes, in a gentle little suburban scene, whilst people ate lunch in the shopping centre behind the flaming car and as women clutching shopping bags waited at the nearby bus stop, the car burned and burned.
Later, in the park whilst my son ran around excitedly, a happy looking elderly man entered the park wearing a small black radio across his chest, sharing Chinese Er Hu music with us all. He gently nodded to people as he walked past and I nodded in return, feeling slightly intoxicated by the music and curious about his serene demeanor. He continued to calmly walk past me and up a small hill leading to the slides. At the top of one of the slides, he paused, placed his hands on the safety bar, and for a brief moment it felt as if the entire park stopped and waited to see what would happen next. I silently willed him to go down the slide, 'Do it, go on, go down the slide.' His shoulders lowered for just a moment and then - he smoothly turned and walked away as gently as he had entered the scene, with his music tinkling between the trees, the play equipment and the bemused parents.
At home, my son hugged me for no particular reason with his little hands around my neck and his soft cheek against my ear and I felt totally at peace with the world.
These things happened today, and it was a strange and wonderful day.
