Barefoot To Blue Lights

Front Porch Chronicles

GOFUNDME

https://gofund.me/28c534226

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:04

Welcome back to the porch. Pull up a chair, grab you something cold to drink, and sit a spell. Because out here on this front porch, the traffic tells stories, the neighbors mind their business mostly, and the porch sees everything. Now today, I'm back out here doing what I do best, watching traffic, watching people, watching the neighborhood move the way a neighborhood moves. And one thing I noticed today, the wall huggers numbers have increased. And that's fine with me. Let me tell you something about these wall huggers. They don't bother nobody, they mind their own business, but at the same time, they keep the neighborhood in check. Sometimes every neighborhood needs somebody like that, somebody who sees everything, knows everything, and can handle things before they ever turn into a problem. And they are respected. If something pops off around here, they already on top of it before anybody even thinks about calling the police. Most days though, they just stand in there talking, laughing, enjoying themselves, minding their business. Now as I'm sitting here doing my usual people watching, I see this young lady walking down the street. And when I say walking, I mean walking without a care in the world. No shoes, no slippers, no socks, nothing. Just barefoot walking down the street like the pavement personally invited her. And she ain't worried about who looking either. Then she crosses the street, not at the crosswalk, not where the painted lines are Nope. Right in the middle of the street, like she daring somebody to hit her. But nobody does. Every car slows down. They give her all the respect she apparently woke up expecting today. And where is she hid it? Straight to the corner store. Now let me tell you something about a neighborhood corner store. They got whatever you need. They got snacks, they got it. Chips, they got it, honey buns. Oh yes, they definitely got those. You thirsty? Water, soda, juice, they got it. You need some smoke, cigarettes, whatever you like to call them. Yep, they got those too. And if you need a little something to help you relax in the evening, that alcohol is sitting right there behind the counter waiting on you. That corner store right there, that's the neighborhood supply headquarters. Now while all this is happening, I'm also watching mister Car wash man. And let me tell you something, that man is doing magic on these cars. Real magic. Cars pull up looking tired, dusty like they've had a long week. And they leave shining like they just roll straight off the showroom floor. Buckets moving, water splashing, rags flying. That man is working hard, real hard. He doing God's work. And all I can say this too. He ain't bad looking either. Nope. Not bad looking at all. Now as I continue sitting here on my front porch, I'm joined by my bestie. And when your bestie shows up on the porch, you already know what time it is. We sit down, talking, laughing, and of course, still people watching because the porch is the best seat in the neighborhood when it comes to seeing everything. And before we go any further, let me give y'all a quick reminder. If you love Ask Velvet, tap the support the show button or donate through my GoFundMe in the description. Every dollar helps keep this mic on and keeps these porch stories coming. Now back to the porch. The sun is starting to set, slowly dropping behind the buildings, painting the sky with those evening colors that let you know the day is starting to wind down. And just when things start getting quiet, here he comes rolling down the street. Music blasting so loud you don't even have to see the car to know he's coming. The bass shaking the air, the engine roaring like it's got something to prove, a whole lot of noise for one man and one car. He rides past like he's putting on a concert for the whole block. And trust me, the whole block heard him. Then not long after that, here comes a two wheeler flying down the street. And when I say flying, I mean flying. That thing moved moving so fast it looked like it's trying to break ninety miles an hour right here in the neighborhood. Zooms pass so quick you almost miss it. But not me. Because when you sit on the porch long enough, you learn how to catch everything out the corner of your eye. Now as the evening settles in, I look over and see the very handsome car washman starting to pack up his equipment for the night. Buckets getting stacked, rags getting folded, water getting poured out another long day of making cars shine like they just rolled off the lot. He worked hard today, real hard. The sun is dipping lower now, traffic slowing down, the neighborhood starting to settle. And just as the night is about to close out, the blue lights appear five deep. They rolled down the street together, lighting up the block for a moment. They stop briefly, look around, and just like that, they roll right on through and disappear back into the night. And with that little bit of excitement over, my bestie and I look at each other and decide that's enough porch for one day. So we gather ourselves, stand up and call it an evening, because when you sit on the porch long enough, you realize the neighborhood will always give you a story. And around here, as long as I'm sitting on this porch, there will always be something to see. And that's another day a front porch where the porch is always open, the stories are always real, and the neighborhood never runs out of characters. Until next time, stay safe, stay cool, and if you got a porch, go sit on it. You might see something worth talking about.