Part 2
Taking the same footways through the neighbourhood makes it possible to notice certain persons frequently met that stand out from the amorphous mass of passers-by. Thus, certain passers-by are no longer anonymous strangers but familiar faces of some characters who have their own life story.
The problems of some of the persons transiting the neighbourhood may also become subjects of interest for the residents of this area and opportunities to care for them. During a walk through this area, a young interlocutor suddenly stops talking, his attention being captured by an old man with mobility problems, who raises his crutches with difficulty because of a slip.
The young man has a short conversation with him, after which he presents us the difficult situation of the person about whom he says “I don't know him personally, only by sight”: with an amputated leg, the old man has walking difficulties, especially when getting onto means of public transport. It is interesting to note that, shortly before this episode, the young man’s attention is not caught by the old beggar sitting under the tree in front of the Wooden Church, probably because his constant presence in the same place has become so familiar that it does not surprise any more.
On the other hand, the old man with the amputated leg is always on the move, often being seen by the young man in various parts of the city. On such occasions the young man helps him, and these are opportunities to interact with him, to know his personal history and individualise him.
