I love to look in windows. Does that sound creepy? I don’t linger; I just like to catch a glimpse of people’s lives as I wander the streets of West Chester. I find it interesting to hear the sounds of other’s favorite television shows, to see what type of artwork they have hanging on their walls and observe what type of curtains they chose to protect them from prying eyes like mine. But what really interests me is to get an idea of what others are eating.
7 PM is my favorite time to walk my dogs around town. This is when most residents are making, in the middle of, or clearing the table from dinner. I know this because the dinner smells come dancing out the windows.
Depending on the season and how well my nose is working, I can smell a roast, the spices of an Italian-something-or-other, smokey gilled meats or sweet apple cinnamon after-dinner dishes. I like to breath in these home-cooked aromas as the smells waft out the window and into my path.
I secretly want to knock on the door to see if my guess is correct based on the scent and sounds. And, of course I (not so secretly), I want to taste it. But I walk on, imagining I’m correct in my guess and picturing who is eating it.
Is it a large family, a retired couple or a young professional testing out new recipes for him or herself? How much of what I smell is pre-made? Is it an old family recipe or is it a heated-up entrée from Wegmans?
I’ve played this guessing game since childhood. When my mother called across the street, “Mary, dinner is ready,” I would pick up on the scents of dinner as I ran closer to the house. Taco seasoning, spaghetti sauce and bacon were the easiest to make out. Other times, I would only smell yummy cooking and wouldn’t know what we’d have until I arrived at the table to gobble it up.
Maybe this is why I love to look in windows. Now that I live hours away from my mom and my childhood house, I miss the feeling of running inside to my mother’s cooking. Although I love my life in West Chester, it’s always nice to get a taste of how others are living…even if it does seem creepy.
Am I alone in this, or are any of you the same way? Let me know.
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