As I walked towards my first poll watching assignment, I took in the beauty of my neighborhood. It takes nothing to exchange ‘Good Mornings’ with people. This is a middle class neighborhood in the middle of several moderate income ones. It is a diverse community. I passed a few older Latinas out for a morning walk. We traded smiles and pleasantries.
It is a strange day. I looked forward to this walk, to clear my head of all this election drama. The weather is cool, but not cold, skies gray, but bright enough to not be dreary. The day is odd in other words.
I passed an older white man getting into his van. I called out, “Good morning,” with a slight wave. I got no response.
What did he see?
Did he see me at all? Did he ignore me because I’m Hispanic. I’m in casual dress with a messenger bag, but what did I look like to him? This is an old neighborhood by Houston’s standards. Houses are fifty years old and in very good shape. Trees fill well maintained yards. Lots are large and streets broad enough. But as with so much here, it is not the same. It has changed with ownership. Lots of Asians and Latinos live here now with a strong presence of Blacks too. It is the new Houston. It is different from when this neighborhood was built.
This gentleman was older, in his seventies I would think, thick glasses. Maybe he didn’t see me well. I didn’t linger on his appearance, maybe he had hearing aides and didn’t hear my greeting.
What did he see?
This question turned in my mind as I walked. The answer important given the horrors unleashed by this election. But then I stopped my thoughts; where on social media I give little benefit of the doubt, here I give much. Why? Because I don’t know what he saw or even heard. His van started on the second attempt. What did that mean? A well maintained exterior of a house says nothing about what is happening inside. My thoughts lingered on this until I reached my destination.
The poll site was extremely busy with the diversity that marks my community. Lots of first time voters. When I left, the older gentleman was still on my mind. I don’t know what he saw when I walked by. I will probably never know. But it matters how I react. It matters what I think. It matters because of what I saw.
I saw a neighbor this morning. And if I see him again I will still say, “Good morning.”