Who needs pavements anyway?!

Every single day at approximately 9.55pm, I look out my window to take in my last thought of the day. I reflect on the past 24 hours and remember the events that have occurred good and bad. I look out of my window, sometimes I open it, sometimes I don’t. I look into the darkness, across the night sky filled with thousands of stars that are covered up by thousands of misty clouds. I look down my street wondering why no one else is ever doing the same. At more or less the exact same time every evening I see a man. A man that walks with such purpose and confidence that nothing, not even time nor space will stand in his way and stop him from reaching his final destination…wherever that may be.

 

He walks completely straight ahead, down this surprisingly long road with absolutely no intention to move to either the left or the right of himself. He avoids the pavements like the plague. But unlike the plague, there are no rats or urine just slabs of concrete covered up by the dim glow of the amber street lights above. He avoids the pavements, he dismisses the pavements. With complete conviction he walks on the outer side of the parked cars and is almost in the middle of the road, but yet remains cautious and slightly to one side.

 

It is a particularly quiet street, which is not to say that every now and then a car doesn’t race along avoiding the breaks (much like the man with the pavements) and slamming ridiculously fast into the 5 or so speed bumps. Upon unexpectedly seeing this bearded man of around 5’11 bombing down the street, they slow down.  They expect him to move on to the pavement where all pedestrians are expected to be. He does not move. He just keeps walking at a considerably fast speed with an expression as dead as a pan upon his face. He doesn’t swerve in between any of the parked cars, he just walks forward. 

 

I look at this man and watch his daily routine most evenings in anticipation that something might change - an inch nearer to the pavement perhaps, or a slower paced leisurely stroll. He never changes. I often worry that he may one day look up at the window and see me looking down at him, but he never does. He just continues to look straight ahead, moving his arms forcefully backwards and forwards making them sway to the side of him like a Lieutenant, or a Major, or just perhaps your average solider marching along in an unknown war. I imagine him recreating what perhaps he once saw through those eyes. Perhaps what he once saw in his past.

Maybe he is going somewhere, maybe he is not. Maybe he is just a figment of my imagination. Maybe. Do other people see this man? Do other people care? Of course there is no law to say that you have to use the pavement, but if no one did then what would become of them? If everyone was like the man who dismisses the pavements then would pavements seize to exist at all? Would the pavements become extended sections of the road?  

Who knows, maybe this man does. Maybe he has all the answer, maybe he is going somewhere to find them. Maybe he has a fear of the pavement…is that possible? What would it be called? Pavementobia? One things for sure, I’ll see him again tonight, and tomorrow and I’ll continue to wonder and continue to question, the man who dismisses the pavements. 

Next time on Your Head Not Mine… Does Pavementobia actually exist? Will I ever see the man again? And will I ever find out if he does in fact have all the answers? Tune in soon to find out! BOOM!