Do my neighbors know my pajamas

A few months ago I was at a gathering and I was introduced to another person. I was told that she had the most elegant pajamas in the entire neighborhood!  "When she goes out in the morning to get her newspaper and take her dog out we all marvel at the elegant pajamas and matching robes that she has" I was told.  Well, that started me thinking....dangerous activity.....I know.  When I am home in Cordova, TN either my husband or I rise in the morning, put on the coffe and then head down the driveway with our dog to get our newspaper.  My neighbors, if their out at that time in the morning, might marvel at my pajamas but not like the elegant display that my aquaintance. I pretty much go for comfort when I go to bed. I don't think I should go into where I have obtained my sleeping attire, but, because many of them have come from my husbands wardrobe...and I'm not sure he knows of my theft!  Just to say that flannel shirts, old T-Shirts and things like that make my bedtime wardrobe comfy.  I do have some very nice pajamas that I travel with so as not to be embarrased at a hotel or friends house, but, I save those for the special occassion and not for every night use.  It never really occured to me, until my friend's introduction, that my neighbors might be the unwilling viewers of my everyday sleeping attire!  We are not close in our neighborhood.  We know our neighbors on either side and a few around our culdesac, but that is just about it.  Most of us have decks in our backyard and different schedules so we rarely see each other except when we are driving in or out of the neighborhood.  But, maybe as someone is walking past their living room window, they look out and see me in my comfy nightwear, with my dog and wonder where I came up with THAT costume! Then they return to their spouse or partner and say: "You won't believe what she had on today!"
     Most of us think we are fairly anonymous when we are not in a crowd or a public place.  When we drive our car, walk out in our front yard or walk down the sidewalk we don't think others are really looking at what we are wearing, how we are behaving or what we are doing.  But, I think we might be surprised about how many people do notice us.  I remember that in one smaller town I was in a hurry to get to an appointment.  I was rushing and when I turned a corner I was minimally aware that I cut off a pedistrian who was beginning to cross the street.  The next Sunday in church the pedestrian (who happened to be a parishoner) said in the midst of a coffee hour crowd: "Mother LaRae, you should pay more attention when you drive, you almost ran me down the other day!" UGGH! It's about being self-aware, other people aware and most of all God aware.  So often we are just looking for the most direct line between point A and point B.  We seldom care about the litter on the street, the person behind us or the person we step around to continue our journey.  Yet, each and everyone of those opportunities for awareness could be an opportunity God is putting in our life.  In Lexington I would often carry a grocery bag when I went out on my daily walk and pick up litter until it got full and then dump it in one of the public trashcans (Lexington was great about providing those).  It made me feel really good, somehow, that I was part of the solution not the problem.  I have to say after my experience of almost running down a parishioner I removed the Episcopal sticker from the back of my car believing that my witness on the road might not be too helpful for the Episcopal Church!

      So often I want to blame the strangers around me for all the rudeness in the world today.  But, perhaps one of the answers to preaching the Gospel in all the world starts with being a good Christian when we don't think anyone is looking.  Well, I probably won't change my nightly attire any time soon.  Maybe it gives my neighbors a good laugh to start their day, if they are really interested.  But, I will think about the stranger, the litter and the small acts of kindness that no one sees except my ever present God