a big burly man

so i'm headin' back around the construction
that's near my house.

this big burly man steps across from the
construction area right over to where i'll
walk in a moment.

i see him do it and i think 'okay. he's
just a big burly man. it's an okay thing.'

he's standin' there facin' the construction
with a hand up to his face shielding the sun.

i step up next to him, face where he's
facing, put my hand up like he is and say
'whatchya lookin' at?'

he starts talkin' sewer pipes to me.

grin.

i've been hangin around with the guys and
bob so much, i can talk manly now. so i
talk sewer pipes back.

and we start walkin' up the road just a
bit together. he's going back into the
site, i'm headin' home.

he's tellin me how he's looking forward
to the change in weather. i sympathize with
him but tell him at least he gets to be
outside.

he loves being outside he says and then
somehow we both kinda comment on the ugliness
if what it is they've done.

i smiled at him and told him 'i keep telling
myself it's not you guys' fault.'

and ready? he actually seemed grateful for that.
he said 'you'd be surprised how many people
think it is.'

and he grumbled and said 'and they call this progress...'

it was so amazing for me to hear. and i don't know
why. i should have known.

where i live used to be really rural. there's
a lotta blue collar/red neck kinda guys. they aren't
the government workers that fill a lot of the
area. where i live, the guys drive trucks, and
work construction. this is their living.

here he was, this big guy. bushy beard, hood pulled
up over his head, muddy boots, little bit of that
southern maryland twang. and he didn't like it either.

i always wave and smile to these guys and in my
head i'm always reminding myself it's not their fault.

today, actually talking to this man....really really
helped me with them. it totally cemented what i've
been tellin' myself for months now.

they're just tryin' to get by too....
they aren't the greedy ones.

i'm so glad that big burly man stepped into my path
this morning...