***Note: I wish I had a photo for this entry, but alas, I was not bold enough to try and take a snap shot of this man….(yet)….
Every. Single. Day.
Yes, this man is a dedicated sitter. I first was amazed by his presence on my frequent walks to the neighborhood pool. I would walk briskly, anxiously awaiting to splash into our local artificial oasis in order to escape the eternal Panamanian heat. It was then, at precisely 3 p.m., I noticed a large jungle growing in the backyard of a certain neighbor’s house. See, where I live is a nice little pseudo suburbia America all cookie-cutter like, so the tall weeds, various trees, shrubs growing out of control — seemed a little out of place.
In my confused gazing at the chaotic plot of land, I saw him.
A thin 70ish-year-old man sitting indian style on a concrete plank in the midst of his jungle backyard – hands resting on his knees in a meditation position, in only a pair of loose whitey-tighties that were actually not white, but blue. I remembered looking, only to realize he might see me and my awkward staring. So, I quickly darted my eyes away so that he wouldn’t notice that I was checking him or his backyard out.
“How funny! I walk past the one day this guy does this! Man, I’m lucky.” I remembered thinking and laughing to myself. Of course no one sits outside in the heat of Panama every day on a concrete bench, in their jungle backyard. But, oh how I was wrong. As I made my frequent pool trips, he never failed to be there — like a steady companion. Each time with a different tree blooming, a different dog barking at me, and a few taller weeds. But still him, in his blue undies, looking calm and tranquil as the ocean a night.
At first, it just made me laugh, but then I began to wonder, “What does he think about every day at 3 p.m.? What does he escape? What comfort does sitting in your underwear, in your unkempt backyard, in the heat of the day provide? Is he immune to the billion mosquitoes that live in Panama? What does he worry about? What makes him laugh like I do when I see an old man in his underwear? What is his life like?”
It’s interesting how we watch those in contemplation, and then we begin to contemplate ourselves. How we see people who don’t care about the outside watching world, and it inspires us to just be who we are. It’s this interesting wave of contagious thinking and being. I like it. I even thought about taking time to sit outside in my underwear — though my backyard faces a road and a school so I’m not sure if that would be appropriate for small children, nor the general passing public.
Perhaps I’m not inclined for any kind of indecent exposure at the moment (not to say my old friend was indecent, but it was a little scandalous), but it makes me sit and think that this is one of the little reasons I love Panama. These are the details that make me laugh deep in my gut, surprise me daily, and show me that it’s okay to just sit in your underwear and just be.
