My Neighborhood

     As I walked in my Piedmont Avenue neighborhood the other morning, I met a woman walking a small black dog.  I love dogs and have a longhistory of dog ownership.  But for a number of reasons I haven't had one for some time, so I get my dog fix by petting those I meet on the sidewalk.
     After I ask, "Can I pet your dog?" the owner waits patiently and proudly to the sde, holding the leash as I stroke the dog, telling it in a gently voice how beautiful it is, how soft its ears are, what a great dog it is.  Sometimes a couple of strokes is all the dog wants, and it turns away from me, not at all interested in more contact, but sometimes they sit and lap up the attention.
     When I asked this woman, "Can I pet your dog?" she looked at me, first warily then apologetically.  "No speak Engliss," she told me in a hesitant voice, tinged with the sound of Slavic vowels.  "Oh," I began, "govereet po Ruska?"  Her eyes lighted up.  "Da." she said and I began to founder in my rusty Russian.  For one thing, I couldn't remember the words for dog and probably had never learned how to say pet in Russian, so I failed to make any translatable sounds. Embarassed, I made apologetic motions.  "Polska?" she asked hopefully and I shook my head sadly.  But I bent over and gave the dog a couple of pats before I waved goodbye and went on my way.
     This incident was a great reminder for me of what a wonderfully international community we live in.  A woman who speaks no English walking her dog, a shoe repair person who was a Bralilian soccer star, innumerable ethnic restaurants owned by immigrants, a Middle-Eastern flower seller, a Vietnamese man playing a native musical instrument on the sidewalk, a Korean woman dry cleaner, citizens of the rest of the world are all around us.  Our community is indeed a mixing pot and we who live here are truly fortunate to expieience it on a daily basis.
      Plus, there are people walking dogs at almost any time of day.