Rollerblades, Sherlock, and Pancakes

While waiting for the bus, a person sees a lot of interesting things...

I watched four little girls cross the street. Three had rollerblades on. The one without rollerblades won the race across. Somehow, I think, instead of plain old fast feet, she'd rather have rollerblades like her friends'.

A little boy and his mother... the little boy ran circles around his mom. Then he discovered a yellow square painted on the sidewalk. He walked on the square with great dedication for the next ten minutes (I think his mother was thanking God for yellow sidewalk squares).

A girl on what looked like her big brother's bike. She waved at her friends, almost crashed, and regained her balance but lost so much momentum in the process that she had to quickly hop off. A nearby cement pylon helped her get back on.

Two boys. One with rollerblades and the other without. The one with rollerblades held tightly to the hood of the other boy's jacket. The boy without rollerblades pulled (and tried to breathe).

To catch a bus in Korea, you must be aggressive. They will not stop unless you jump out into the street and wave your arm.

You see interesting things on the subway too. Like a husband and wife with a tiny child. I decided to try and play Sherlock Holmes. Unobtrusively, I examined their clothes and behavior toward each other, toward the baby, and toward others on the subway. Here's is what I saw and hypothesized...

The husband had a suit on... but not a very new suit. The wife was dressed in nice, but slightly worn clothes (there was a small worn spot on her pant knee... possibly from playing with baby). The husband held the baby on his knee and with his free hand, dangled a toy that flashed lights. The baby got upset when he wouldn't give it to her. She pulled at the toy angrily. The toy dropped and rolled across the subway floor. An old woman picked it up and, with a smile, handed it to the wife. The wife smiled sheepishly back and said thank you several times. The husband and wife glanced at each other and smiled.

This is the story I imagined... they must be a young couple just scraping along. He works hard to provide for his wife and daughter, but for now, never has any extra to save. His wife stays at home, raising their child and managing their small apartment on the 25th floor. They are unique in Korean culture, because they married for love rather than convenience. They are proud of their life together and the child they hold between them. They are going to visit grandma... to share the joy that is their daughter and to gain some rest. While grandma watches the little one, they can relax their constant vigilance. A happy couple that has been through hard times. A couple that knows more hard times are around the corner. A couple that knows they've made it this far... and as long as they have each other, nothing will be too hard.

And then it was my stop. And I went down the road that is my life. And they went down the road that is their life.

What will little Jenna's road look like?


Next time you find yourself walking somewhere. Make sure to keep your head up... look at the horizon. Suddenly, you will begin to notice new people, new places, new details. Colors and sounds will assault your senses. It's tiring though... and soon you will find yourself looking at the ground once again. Returning to your comfortable little piece of world. But every time you gain the strength to look up again... some new wonder will await you.

I'm getting quite good at making pancakes. Look at these beuts!

Mom claims that Jenna and this little girl are friends. I'm not so sure. Jenna is giving the bigger girl quite a stare down. You can clearly see that she is the stronger personality (Mortinson pride!). On second thought... maybe she's just constipated.

A wiseman, and the Son of God, once said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God."