{"id":5670,"date":"2025-04-01T21:32:26","date_gmt":"2025-04-01T21:32:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.martycoffinevans.com\/?p=5670"},"modified":"2025-04-01T21:32:26","modified_gmt":"2025-04-01T21:32:26","slug":"a-mysterious-stranger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.martycoffinevans.com\/?p=5670","title":{"rendered":"A Mysterious Stranger”"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

“Late Morning, Early Spring,” 15″ x 11″ Watercolor, \u00a9 Donna Lyons 2018<\/p>\n

“A mysterious stranger”<\/p>\n

By Marty Coffin Evans \u00a9 2015<\/p>\n

We looked up the little incline as we walked the Boulder Creek Path. There to our right, just below the 28th<\/sup> Street overpass, was a man dressed in a dark brown jacket.<\/p>\n

Leaning over, he carefully smoothed out a piece of cardboard. Nearby he had a green plastic bag.\u00a0 Satisfied with his efforts, he quickly scurried into his concrete niche.<\/p>\n

How old was he?\u00a0 We never saw his face only his back as he gave methodical care to these items for his \u201chome.\u201d<\/p>\n

Neither my friend nor I spoke as we continued walking. We passed another homeless man, this one smoking a cigarette while semi-sitting on the low wall by the creek. We saw him first as we walked west, then again as we made our walking loop back to our cars. Dressed in a light colored jacket, he appeared tall and possibly younger than the mysterious stranger living in his niche under 28th<\/sup> Street.<\/p>\n

Do you smile and say Hello? The creek side fellow seemed interested in those passing him by, whether on foot or bicycle.\u00a0 We\u2019ve heard about people feeling invisible.\u00a0 Was this fellow invisible to the passersby?<\/p>\n

Who were these fellows?\u00a0 How did they end up living on the streets and underpasses in Boulder? Whose family members were they?<\/p>\n

I thought back to a time in San Francisco when walking to a convention center meeting, we picked up free baguettes from a basket outside a bakery.\u00a0 Armed with our two baguettes, we offered one to a fellow on Market Street.\u00a0 His pleasure was not discernable. Later at Fisherman\u2019s Wharf, we offered our second one to a fellow sitting on the sidewalk. Our bread was not the kind he hoped for that evening.<\/p>\n

What do these snippets hold in common for me? \u00a0I remember the San Francisco experience although that happened probably 20 or so years ago.\u00a0 I definitely remember our brown-coated mysterious stranger scampering into his makeshift home.<\/p>\n

As I stand by the back door late at night watching the dogs make one last trip outside, I think of these men.\u00a0 Rather, I really think about the one in the brown jacket.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s cold outside. How will he make it through the night? Will he become a statistic we read about at some later time in our newspaper?<\/p>\n

Depending on life circumstances, some may say, \u201cThere but for the grace of God go I.\u201d I hope our Lord looks out for these men (and women too) as they wend their way through life.<\/p>\n

Gratefully, the Bridge House, Boulder\u2019s Homeless Shelter and area churches provide a place for some to stay overnight during the colder months along with needed sustenance. Perhaps with spring\u2019s arrival, the elements will be kinder to these strangers in our midst.<\/p>\n

April 2025<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  “Late Morning, Early Spring,” 15″ x 11″ Watercolor, \u00a9 Donna Lyons 2018 “A mysterious stranger” By Marty Coffin Evans \u00a9 2015 We looked up the little incline as we walked the Boulder Creek Path. 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