Sightings and reflections in Fort Wayne

Wednesday morning, the last Wednesday of January 2008. The temperature is 8. Yesterday at this time it was about 40 degrees warmer.

Yesterday, I saw a 14 year old wearing shorts and a sleeveless shirt walking with his mom who was still bundled up winter weather style.

Yesterday the leaf collection crew was trying to take advantage of the warmth to clear last years leaves out of the street on Broadway. Today the leaf piles in front of my house are frozen to the ground again.

Yesterday, the weatherman cried WOLF, as we had winter storm warnings on the way with 6 feet of snow and sub zero temps on the way. Today, it's just cold and sunny. (No snow).

Yesterday I saw a woman with bright red clown hair cut short walking on Main Street. Today her hair is probably the same. In a few months, it might be green or blue.


Growing up in this town, 35 years ago I delivered the News-Sentinel after school near Parkview Hospital. There was a blind man that walked along State Street every day back in the 1970's with his red tipped white cane. I watched in amazement when I was a teenager. I watched in amazement a few years ago when I saw him again, walking on State Street 30 years later.

Someone recently pointed out to me that State Street is really State Boulevard. I don't care. State Street is the name I will always call it.

The conversations that I would overhear when I would come to town 13 years ago to visit my folks and I knew that at this time of the day he and his friends would be at Tom's Donuts on North Anthony; those conversations about nothing are similar to the conversations I am part of when I visit my friends at the Firefly Coffee shop on North Anthony. Today I saw a man named Ron who used to be a regular at the Firefly with his brother Don, until a disagreement provoked Ron to turn his back on the Firefly and find a new home. This morning, he was at Aspen Coffee, about 5 miles away.

Yesterday I spoke with my son who is going to school and saw my oldest daughter who lives here in town. It was good to trade hugs with Rachael and the "I Love You's" over our cell phones with Josh.

Today, I will have more on my to-do list than is possible to finish, so I will move some things to a latter date and focus on my priorities.

Tonight, the members of our church will gather for a shared meal and then discuss a building plan for the future of the church, the school and the families it serves. I am blessedto be a part of this group of sinners.

Tomorrow Abby will be playing basketball at Purdue with friends. Tomorrow night, we hope to gather with Ian for his birthday (which is today).

Now it is time to finish lunch and return to work with a smile on my face and in my heart. Here's a little Calvin: