The other day I was walking through our neighborhood when I saw our mail carrier.
Except she was out of context.
Not in uniform, she was pushing a stroller with—presumably—her child inside.
We both did a double take and exchanged a quick greeting in passing.
I'm not about to create a story for this woman. I don't know where she lives or how she views her place in the community. I don't even know for sure if that was her kid.
But I can make the observation that it's pretty fucking cool to have your mail carrier acknowledge you when they’re not working. Little things like that combine to make a place feel like a neighborhood. And, because of the weak ties I've established in our neighborhood, I have this type of “relationship” with a couple dozen people—maybe more.