Habitat

[caption id="attachment_62" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="The Chinook"][/caption] As a product designer who studied architecture, I reflect on how people live, a lot. I travel the world, observe and explore.  I am fascinated with how people build and decorate be it a hut, house or hovel. I think about how we live, what we use, how to improve it or offer options.

The other day, my son was watching Sesame Street and "the word of the day" was HABITAT. We started to discuss the different habitats for animals and people. When we walked to pre-school, I noticed one of our neighbors, but this time in context. We have mused that he is an ex-rocket scientist from Colorado now living out of his Chinook and hanging out in the streets of New York, we have not met but each week when alternate side of the street parking takes place, he some how starts the engine and moves it. I often can hear it start and I am drawn to the window in fascination, voyeuristically wondering about who he is and how he lives. What does he have in there? It is filled to the rim with black plastic bags, carrying what? I have seen him (you can imagine) he is old, slight build, has long grey hair and beard. Once I tried to offer my help when he needed to move it because he turns it on, puts it in neutral, steers from outside and pushes it into the street, waits for the sweeper then pushes it back into place, but he didn't hear me or just didn't acknowledge and I didn't press, feeling perhaps I had invaded his privacy.  I am fond of this man, of his tenacity, of his choice of habitat.