Mr Charles

Today the weather has definitely turned. Instead of fog burning off in the midmorning, the low clouds have remained all day. The temperature has dropped significantly and the wind blows the fallen leaves into drifts and piles by the side of the road.Some people are energized by this change in the weather, but I find myself feeling lethargic and dull.

Mr Charles is part of a mural on the side of a little grocery store on Ashby Avenue, one of the main East/West roads through town. It is also a state highway, which can make for a lot of arguments over who is responsible for what. It has been torn up by a major sewer project and a repaving project all summer. Driving down it is an obstacle course of major proportions. The good thing about this frustrating situation is that while sitting at an intersection I had time to really look at this mural It is such a humanizing feature in an otherwise pretty run down neighborhood, that I decided to park the car and take a picture of it.

The whole mural was too big for me to photograph without standing in the middle of the road, so I took several sections. I chose Mr Charles because there is a wonderful story that goes with him. Two of the other sections are in my Blipfolio.

20 years ago when our kids went to Berkeley High School, we drove right past Mr Charles every morning on the way to the school. He would stand on the corner in front of his little house, big smile on his face and a big yellow glove on his waving hand. He kept this up for a couple of hours every weekday morning and no matter how busy or tired or distracted you were, you just couldn't help but smile and wave back. This tiny interaction obviously meant a great deal to a lot of people who still smile at the thought of how his simple act of waving brightened their day.

Mr Charles died many years ago but whoever painted this mural included him as an important part of Berkeley, and the neighborhood, so he continues to brighten people's day as they drive by. He brought a smile to my face today, but it wasn't enough to shake me out of my torpor and since I have my book group tonight I think perhaps a nap is in order.