Right of Way

Today, I pulled up to the first stoplight on my way to a friend's house after work and started to stare off into space like I so often do. As my attention got pulled back to the community around my by the same inexplicable force that caused it to drift off in the first place, I noticed an older Black man walking through the crosswalk in front of me. Dressed in royal blue work pants that were too big but belted with a old but clean white button-down short-sleeved dress shirt tucked in neatly, he had stopped in front of my car and was waiting to get my attention. As soon as he had it, he literally (and I do know how to use the word) tipped his blue baseball hat to me and then continued across the street and into the corner liquor store once I smiled largely and genuinely in response.