This morning is grey and overcast and now starting to rain, but Paddy and I were out on our walk before that. I will be charitable and assume that the change in the weather has been responsible for the dourness of most people we met this morning. Out of nine people or pairs of people, almost all walking their dogs, just like me, a mere three returned my 'Good morning.'
Several totally ignored me, one, whom I passed twice, just glared at me, but the last was the best. A young woman came out of a field onto the lane just ahead of me with a large, docile dog, who took no notice of Paddy, nor, surprisingly, Paddy of him. As she glanced at me blankly and then turned to go up the lane, three feet ahead, I said,
"Well, it's not often Paddy doesn't react at all to other dogs."
To which the woman replied....
Nothing, nowt, nada, zilch and continued on her way, leaving me wondering, not for the first time this morning, why I bother.
I'm not a sad, lonely person desperate to get someone, anyone talking to me, but having lived for years on the outskirts of cities, where it was the norm to ignore anyone you passed, I've got to like the way that, round here, it's customary to pass the time of day.It costs nothing and it's good for us.
Today, I must have been out with all the grumps.