The older woman holds on to the pole at the crosswalk. The light turns green. She stops. “Can I help you?” I ask. “Please,” she says. I bend my arm. She hooks hers through. Half way through, the light starts to blink. The woman puts in the pass. I can barely keep up with her. “I thought you had trouble walking?” She slowly shakes her head. “I just wanted to feel like a human being. That was far too long ago.”
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A version of this article also appeared in the newspaper of 11 July 2022