Today my ride took me to a fellow Silent Book Club member’s home to pick up The Library Book by Susan Orlean. Their house wasn’t far – maybe 15 minutes away by bike but it once again took me down to the Taylor Creek Trail – a route I’ve been on many times this summer both for random rides as well as on the way to specific destinations.
Today as I rode along, a sign caught my eye. Though I was moving along at a good pace, I’m trying to be more conscious of stopping and appreciating things that catch my eye and so I pulled over and walked back where I saw this:
I have to admit at first I was worried that it was a specific memorial. Very often a sign and memorial like this will go up where something bad happened, like the white ghost bikes here mark where a cyclist was killed by a driver. But somehow a more general “Let’s all remember the people we love together” seems the opposite of that. Not happy, exactly, but a warm sharing feeling. I was so glad to see it.
I cropped the photo so you can have a closer look at what was left.
In times like we’re living in now, connecting in human ways – even physically distant and somewhat anonymous – is so important.
Go Outside Today 
And many have stopped. I liked the idea.
Yes – I’ve also followed the creator. She’s put a few more herself and also has done other interesting interventions like this elsewhere in the forest (that I haven’t yet seen). Very cool!
Quite interesting.
I have not seen any such thing before.
It’s a bit unusual for here as well. I’ve seen memorials like this for one person – at a place they loved, or sadder, at the place where they met their end. But this is the first time I’ve seen one that is open for sharing like this.
May be the pandemic has brought humans close.
I think that’s possible. One of the first things I noticed during this pandemic is people would express genuine caring. In my Hindi piece for the newspaper, I said that before the pandemic people always said “How’re you doing?” without necessarily listening to the response. It was just something you said. But now people ask that and sincerely want to know. And people routinely say “Stay safe” and seem to mean it. We’re understanding the value of human connection in a way that many of us took for granted. I think perhaps it’s even more true in the west where many of us are even more removed from one another.
Its’ possible Todd.
I just hope people everywhere value other humans even when the pandemic is over.
I watched the youtube link in your other post. It’s a good initiative. Enjoy your hindi practice.
That is a lovely idea. Thanks for the photo.