Hi! My name is Gladys. Gladys Kravitz.
I had that epiphany this morning as I sat at my desk watching workers unload construction supplies. At first, I was a bit alarmed when the flatbed truck rolled by with lumber and drywall. Which one of our neighbors was doing that level of construction? Was someone adding on to their house? And why in hell was that really any of my business?
Between moving my office home and the pandemic, I have somehow become our neighborhood’s Gladys Kravitz. At least for the part of the world I can see from my window. Not that becoming a busybody happened overnight. However, looking back at some of my blog posts, part of me should have seen this coming.
Not that I’m constantly glued to window keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. I do have drawings that need drawing and calls to make. Plus, the occasional moment to stop and refill my water, grab a snack, and maybe rub Boo’s belly because she’s being completely ignored. Yet most days, I do find my eyes wandering to what is happening on the other side of the glass.
John walked by with Charlie. Check!
Mary and Phil’s home health worker has stopped by. Check!
Mail is here! Check!
And those are the day-to-day things I find myself paying attention to. The routine activities that tell me the day is unfolding as it should. Yet it’s the unexpected things that really pull out the inner Gladys in me.
One morning I caught a glimpse of a dog bolting out of our front yard – the Jack Russell terrier that has been walked up our street every morning and afternoon for the last year. He was followed shortly by the owner driving down the street looking for him. Now I watch the owner walk up the street alone, and part of me is sad. Did Jack not make it home? Or is he not allowed out for walks any longer? Gladys really wants to go and ask.
Most recently a moving truck arrived at the rental house directly across the street. The rental house that has sat empty for months. But who’s moving in? A little lean to the left to see past my monitor gave me a few details. Realistically we could just go across the street and introduce ourselves, except that might take the fun out of peering over my monitor from time to time to see what other tidbits I can glean.
And yes, I did get out of my chair and tell James. I mean, someone else should know. I can’t be the only nosey parker in the house.
As for the construction supplies, turns out the neighbor across and two doors up is having their shingles replaced. Nothing out of the ordinary. Pretty ballsy, though, given the amount of rain recently and the fact the sky is clouding up again.
Not that I’m about to go over and tell them that. Whatever the neighbors are doing is not really any of my business.
Although I think Gladys might have a peek out the window and disagree.
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