A random encounter on the street…

… a man, tall, lanky, in his late 40’s, early 50’s, calls out to me as i am walking down Elm street to Main Street… he is sitting on top of a picnic table under a tree with a cup of coffee… i can’t make out what he is saying at first and ask him to repeat… he tells me he respects LGBTQ people and that Jesus welcomes everyone to the table… i thank him for his words of support… “God bless you!” he says as i move on… i an a little surprised… i had not thought i was presenting so obviously it could be seen from a distance… still, i am happy to be recognized as LGBTQ… later on, i pass him on Main Street… i have observed him righting a trash can that had been tipped over during the night… he asks me if i tipped it over and says you people up from the city need to be more respectful… i tell him that i live in Beacon and that i didn’t do it… he reaches his hand out and tells me his name is Danny and that he’s lived his whole life in the house with the yellow shutters on Elm street… i have never seen him before… i tell him my name and that i live around the corner from him on Dewindt street… he goes back to expressing his acceptance of LGBTQ people… he tells me he thinks we are angels, we all have wings on our backs… “I hope so,” i say… he says, “i know so,”… i wish him a good day and move on…