When Jimmy Fallon took over Jay Leno’s Late Night Show he took along a popular segment he calls Thank You Notes.
Every Friday night he writes a weekly batch of thank you notes to various people – from Honey Boo Boo to Microbreweries – commenting on their behaviours and acknowledging their effects on his life.
For instance, one thank you note read, “Thank you, cotton candy, for making my grandmother’s hair look delicious.” Or, “Thank you, slow walking family in front of me on the sidewalk. And take your time. You create a sort of barricade of idiots.”
I have met people that could give rise to that note: five high school students walking toward Dairy Queen whom I met on my way to my 11 a.m. dentist appointment.
Not one of them dropped back to open a smidge of sidewalk for me. I could step down in the gutter or be plowed over. (On a two week vacation in Victoria my sister met the same sort of passive aggressive bullying. Perhaps it’s a new teen practice.)
Aside from such rare instances of rudeness, I’ve been noting a number of behaviours most of which I appreciate: for example, neighbours who own corner lots like Dobbie at Kirkaldy and keep their boulevard vegetation trimmed low to provide clear visibility for traffic anywhere near that corner.
One hedge due for a trim marks the south end of Market Street between the George Little Park and Dr. Osei-Tutu’s green office building.
I suspect the hedge belongs to the city. Before exiting Market Street on to Park soon traffic approaching from the west will be obscured by the height of the hedge.
Only drivers of larger vehicles such as Dodge Rams will sit high enough to see over the hedge. To be safe, I must drive out across the sidewalk before stopping to check for traffic.
A thank you goes to whoever recently cut down firewood on the flat trail between Celgar Road and the Rifle Range.
He piled the firewood lengths neatly and also stacked the branches in a tidy pile just off the trail so no one needs to stumble through a tangle of branches walking, horseback riding, or on wheels. Stacking the branches is a work of 10 minutes or less but the results will be a benefit to all for years.
Which reminds me – someone tossed a bag of garbage not far from the woodpile. Someone too lazy or cheap to take his garbage to the landfill. Thanks for littering, buddy.
Thank you to all my neighbours who keep their dogs confined to their property, either fenced or on a leash. Unless they’ve experienced the hassle of preventing skirmishes when a dog tackles mine in the middle of the pavement, they can’t imagine how relieved I am to walk the full two blocks with no incidents.
If I have one unfilled wish, it’s that cats were kept indoors during the hours when dogs are typically walked.
I know I have no claim to expect cats to be kept indoors; and cats sitting minding their own business under their own vehicles or behind a shady rock in their driveway have every right to be there; but once my pup sights a likely victim within striking distance, I can barely slow her down.
My entire return trip I must stay vigilant for sight of a feline and if, as once happened, I failed to notice a cat crouched in the ditch, my pup was off in pursuit dragging the leash. Neighbours can say I need to train my pup to ignore cats, and I won’t argue that. But birds and I would appreciate kitties being brought indoors in the evening especially if the temperature is high.
Claudette Sandecki promotes a civilized society from Thornhill, B.C.
