On your daily commute to work, school, the gym, etc., do you see the same people? As you walk through your city each morning, do you see the same man playing the harmonica? What about the business man who only wears bow-ties? Do you ever stop to think of who they are or where they are headed?
Around noon everyday in Odessa, Ukraine, 5 women wearing backpacks and dressed far too modestly for Ukrainian culture trudge through the city streets. The accordion man sees them. The flier man tries to hand them the same discount fliers every day as they walk through the shopping mall. The flower stand lady smiles at them as they pass. These people see the same 5 women everyday… the weird women who come out around noon.
Who are they? Where are they headed?
Well, they are World Racers, of course. Carmen. Aimee. Bethany. Jenny. Samantha. They are headed to the First Step center [read about that here] about a mile and a half away from their downtown apartment. They get to see the beauty of the city as they pass through Art Park and the connecting market. They see fountains where children sit, moms pushing strollers, and friends going on a walk.
On the way back to their apartment, they take a different route. They go down what they have deemed “fun street” on which they see more entertaining people.
Fun Street is a brick street where violin lady plays, high-pitched singer sings, and jumping children jump down the Tiger Bounce Slide. McDonald’s [$.50 soft-served cones], a supermarket, and a slew of restaurants fill the sides of Fun Street. To the left of Fun Street is the Opera House, to the right a shopping mall.
I love living in this city. I love our daily commute. I secretly hope that the accordion man and flower stand lady wonder what happen to us after we leave Odessa. 🙂
