A Dog Walk and True Neighbor

This story happened tonight, a small moment like I've had many times over in this community that I love. I'll call it The Trash Chair. Or how I walked the dog and got new kitchen furniture from a stranger in the alley.

Belmont Shore is a place where we must have the highest percentage of dogs per capita and the smallest sized yards for daily pooch visits. We have one of the few lawns, so we walk for health, and tend to make friends. But tonight I met three new people, all of them coincidentally from LaVerne Avenue. One was most memorable.

As I was crossing the alley behind Santa Ana Avenue, Brody by my side, a woman was quite handily lugging something across East First Street. "I'm always finding chairs," she said as if we'd known each other for years. 

"You and my husband," I remarked, because I live with a man who has walked the dog and returned with Righteous Brothers albums when we had no record player. Also dragged home from alley trash areas: half barrels for planters, Roman-looking tree pots that needed to be rolled all the way home they were so heavy, and even a few old wooden doors. I grant you, the palm tree and pair of mountain bikes were scores, but they shouldn't count because they were our neighbor's across the alley. But back to tonight's alley.

"This is a really cool chair," said the friendly woman, who I quickly learned was Chrissy.

Me: "Oh my gosh, that's a great chair!" 

Chrissy: "Here, you want it? Where do you live?"

Me: "Are you kidding I love it!"

Turns out, in the two-block walk to my yard, I learn that Chrissy has previously phoned me with stories and conversed in comments on Patch stories. Without first knowing it, we already had a sort of history.

So I walked the dog, gazed out over Alamitos Bay, turned down First and a block later, got me a chair. And a chair I didn't even have to carry home. Because Chrissy insisted on doing that for me, we made that neighborhood connection.

Whoever let go of this chair, which appears to be from the 1950s, and to Chrissy, I thank you. I feel certain our paths will cross again. After all, we have The Trash Chair in common now.

Have you had a chance encounter like this? Share it with me in comments.