The other day the rain stopped and the sun came out. I found myself drawn to the window seat so I gave in and I sat down, with my legs up, in the sunshine, like an indolent cat. My script was on my lap but it stayed closed. I just sat there, watching people go by on the pedestrian walkway in front of our building. I love people watching. It is one of my favourite activities. I don’t know why but I love it. And this house allows me to do it all day long if I want to.

As I sat there, watching, the Harry Chapin song “Circle” came into my head. I reached over and grabbed my iPad and soon the song filled the room.

All my life’s a circle;
Sunrise and sundown;
Moon rolls through the nighttime;
‘Til the daybreak comes around.

All my life’s a circle;
But I can’t tell you why;
Season’s spinning round again;
The years keep rollin’ by.

It seems like I’ve been here before;
I can’t remember when;
But I have this funny feeling;
That we’ll all be together again.
No straight lines make up my life;
And all my roads have bends;
There’s no clear-cut beginnings;
And so far no dead-ends.

I found you a thousand times;
I guess you done the same;
But then we lose each other;
It’s like a children’s game;

As I find you here again;
A thought runs through my mind;
Our love is like a circle;
Let’s go ’round one more time.

I wondered why that song suddenly came into my head and why I needed to hear it. I knew there was a reason so I sat quietly and waited for it to come to me. I watched the people going by and slowly it dawned on me. I was seeing that circle in the people going by.

I saw young women pushing strollers, striding along, happy to be out in the sunshine. Perhaps they were off to run errands. Perhaps they were taking cranky babies out for a ride, hoping they would fall asleep. I saw old women pushing walkers, slowly making their way along the path, happy to be out in the sunshine. Perhaps they were on their way to the market, or perhaps they tired of being indoors and were taking advantage of the break in the rain to get out.

I saw young men riding their bikes, some like daredevils with no hands and no helmets. Most of them had backpacks, carrying whatever they needed. Some had bags hanging from the handlebars. I saw old men in scooters. None of them were daredevilish. They all had their hands firmly on the handles but none of them wore helmets. They too had things with them, in the front baskets. Some also had baskets on back.

I saw young couples strolling along, hand in hand, feeling the need to be close. Sometimes they would stop and chat on one of the benches, leaning in for a kiss before heading on their way again. I saw elderly couples walking arm in arm for emotional and physical support. They too often stopped at the benches, sitting to catch their breath before moving on. Sometimes they shared a tender kiss too.

I saw a homeless man wandering along, pushing his shopping cart full of his earthly goods moving to a new location. I saw busy businessmen and women, often on the phone: I’m sure their briefcases or purses were full of important papers and they were on their way to high power meetings.

Young couples with little children; old couples with little dogs. An old man walking alone. A young man sitting by himself on the bench. A young woman waiting while her dog sniffs in the grass. An elderly woman stopping to chat with her, asking if she can pet the dog. Two young couples, each with two toddlers, exchanging telephone numbers, setting up play dates. An old woman making her way slowly to the extended care home nearby to visit her infirm husband, stopping to wait for her daughter who has just parked her car on our street.

Life is a circle. Dale and I are on our own again; we have no one to answer to, no kids to make arrangements for, our time (and our money, mostly) is our own. We’ve been some of the people on the pathway, and one day we will be some of the others. Yes, life is a circle and our place on it is perfect for right now.