The people around you...

My postman.
He has always been a pretty nice, easy going guy. Seemed diligent, hard working. Not much time on his hands, you know, lots of mail to deliver.
Happy and determined.
This was what I knew before today. When all I had were 5 second encounters. Or just seeing him out my window from the studio everyday.

Now I have just overheard through my studio window a 45 minute conversation he had with a contractor working on my neighbors house.
Just two working guys, stopping work for a bit to chat, about the weather first - how hot its been, how both of them, being outdoor workers, keep cool - oh Mr. Postman has worked in Sahara before? wow! You lived with bedouins? cool. you certainly know a lot about salt and crystals in one's skin and what the sun can do to a person Mr. Postman. Oh you were in "the service" for awhile too? Costa Rica? Puerto Rico? thats interesting. Yes, I must say marathons do take a bit of stamina. And yes it is funny that "back in day" one could drive on the farm when you were 12 without a license or form of "registration" with the state. Oh, and why yes, the Kennedy assassination was tragic, I agree... oh you know a few things about this... Johnson got how much money?. yes there are many conspiracies in the wo... thats an interesting statistic but... oh you own a sniper rifle... that good huh... yes I know nothing about the range of your weapon compared to Oswalds.... yeah, no, yes yes, I agree we should both get back to work, (the service might be listening) nice chatting with you Mr. Postman!

2 hours ago, I would have been perfectly comfortable to step out of my house in my PJs as my postman walked passed so that I could hurriedly hand him my late bill payments with a smile.
Now... I just hope he's not pointing a rifle into my room from 2000 meters away.

The people around us, we just didn't know.