Mayhem on the Streets

As we all see, the streets collectively make up a space that is important to our lives. They make social connections more likely and contain the element of surprise, even serendipity. Streets and sidewalks also give us opportunities for exploration, adventure and drama. These places of our daily lives can also be dangerous and unpredictable, giving rise to stories and precautions for our safety.

Streets and sidewalks are social spaces where human beings constantly interact with each other, for good or ill. They also provide opportunities for getting some exercise, as when we walk, run, or ride bicycles. When walking, we often run into other individuals walking their dogs, providing a chance for conversing and bonding with pet owners. People involved in various errands have meaningful things to discuss with others, often boring them with the details!

New social connections and long-term friendships are fostered by this time we spend in what I call "the fourth space." On the street, you often get to meet new, fascinating people, especially on sidewalks. Over the years, I've often enjoyed interacting with random persons on the street. Usually it involves making eye contact and nodding, but sometimes it leads to a greeting, or even a conversation - if it's not my first time running into the person. 

When walking in downtown areas, we often run into friends and acquaintances. I often see people that I know from the bus, from coffee shops or from other parts or times in my life. It can be a chance for us to catch up with old friends, as you both tie up the sidewalk with your conversation! When you go for a walk with family members, you get to connect with them in a new and meaningful way, strengthening the bonds of kinship.

In any setting, a day walking on the streets can be a chance to explore the world around us, making it more familiar to us. A stroll downtown can give us a much needed excursion as we check out the shops and restaurants that may catch our eye. Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton are great towns for doing this! This personal quest for adventure often creates exciting situations: you never know what you're going to run into or what you're going to see! These experiences can even be funny, making us laugh or chuckle!

As you can imagine, my time on the streets is often spent waiting for buses. I've witnessed a lot of things - both good and bad. I've seen a lot of people who are obviously going through rough times in their lives and looking for moral support. Most people that I encounter are hard-working individuals commuting to and from their jobs. They sometimes travel with co-workers, discussing the day’s events and juicy gossip of work. Other workers connect with employees of other companies, making the commute tolerable and even interesting.

 

The drama of the streets provides a little excitement for our day, maybe even prompting a witty, captivating Facebook post. Often, the drama is somewhat upsetting, but worthy of conversation nonetheless. This is true for auto accidents, when cars are totaled and people are injured or crying. Drivers exchange information or get into heated arguments about who was really at fault; in more serious cases, police cars, firetrucks and ambulances arrive.

Our day's business on the streets can be very frustrating, annoying and can really make us angry! This is never truer than in inclement weather, such as winter storms or thunderstorms. Winter storms hamper travel and leave people stranded, while spring and summer thunderstorms force people to run for cover, as flash flooding, strong wind gusts and lightning can wreak havoc. However, learning to master the challenges that the streets and sidewalks pose can increase our level of self-confidence. We learn to stay calm in the face of peril or inconvenience.

Driving itself has its own set of frustrations and adventures. I did drive at one time, and that was quite an adventure! I witnessed people doing crazy things on the road and maneuvered some difficult circumstances on the highway and in major cities, such as Chicago and New York City. Parking cars on the side of the street often creates lots of interpersonal conflicts. Even an episode of Seinfeld was based on this daily struggle!

 

Unfortunately, however, some events on streets and sidewalks could even kill us or cause other tragedies. In my lifetime I've witnessed a stabbing, a hit-and-run accident, a DUI and more than a few drug raids. Many people have witnessed crimes even more serious than that. Frequent danger can often lead to annoyance, as with the daily difficulties of crossing the street, or avoiding irresponsible pedestrians. Some drivers are willing to run over pedestrians in crosswalks, while some pedestrians dart out in front of cars! Bicycles present even more challenges on the road. These increase our levels of anxiety and may cause us to lash out at other people!

The streets and our experiences of them make up important facets of our everyday lives. They provide a random sampling of humanity, giving us an understanding of today's society, while giving us opportunities for change and for personal improvement. We get human contact with others and exposure to new places, making our lives more meaningful. We don't have to think of these places as mundane or irrelevant; they can be chances to start anew!