Night Walks

I'm a fan of night walks. It's a great time to be out and reflect or just to enjoy the silence. Yeah, the silence just might do it. What a feeling to be enthralled to nature's surroundings.

A conversation I had with someone included what to do when a dude happens to be walking slightly behind a woman at night, so as to not give her the creeps. I'm going to share an experience here about the opposite.

So one night I'm taking my usual route, and pause at the park where there are bleachers I sit on. Looking up imagining that the blinking airplane lights are stars, I just take in the cool weather and the silence. Silence, until I hear footsteps behind me. I turn around and see a woman coming up the same path I took (the bleachers are also next to a bunch of trees, so it is difficult to see). I realized that she didn't know I was there when she stopped all of a sudden and stood absolutely still. I'm thinking to myself, does she know I'm here? I'm too far to say "hello" and too close to continue sitting there as if no one else is there. So I get up and just walk away. But then... the strangest thing begins to happen. The woman turns around and begins following me. I thought perhaps it's just a coincidence, that as I leave she leaves too. But I look behind and she is staring right at me as she keeps walking. It was weird. Finally there was a point where we ended up walking different paths, but that took a while.

So not everyone experiences that, I get it. Where we ended in our conversation is to try and cross the street to signal to her that you (dude) are not trying to give her the creeps. Another is just walk faster to pass her. This has a tendency to backfire if you are significantly far enough behind, that speed walking may actually raise cause of alarm.

To summarize, go for walks if you get the chance to. I know it's December and it's snowing and cold and yuck, but it's actually cool and pleasant and tranquil. Enjoy the snowflakes, just dress warmly.