I’m not great at writing these and honestly I don’t expect much, but this moment has been stuck in my head long enough that I figured I should just write it out.

This happened about two weeks ago near Burnside Bridge. It was late, sometime after the Timbers game. The streets still had that post-game chaos energy. People yelling about the score, some drunk, some happy, some pissed off, you know how it is.

You were standing near the crosswalk waiting for the light. You had a green sweater on and were holding a bike helmet. I remember thinking you probably biked there because your hair looked wind messed, like you’d been riding fast or downhill.

You didn’t look like someone in a rush. More like someone thinking about something else entirely. Not sad exactly, just somewhere mentally far away. I get that look because I’ve probably had the same one lately.

Then some guy on a rental scooter almost hit you because he was texting. You stepped back fast and laughed a small laugh. Nothing dramatic. Just one of those half laughs people do when something annoying happens and it’s easier to shrug it off than care.

I was standing close enough that I could’ve said something normal like people need licenses for those scooters or long night huh. But I just didn’t. I froze or overthought it or whatever.

And then the part that stuck:
The light was still red and you just crossed anyway. No hesitation. You didn’t even check for cars. You just went.

A car honked, someone yelled something, but you didn’t stop. You walked straight across like you already knew you weren’t waiting.

When you got to the other side, you turned around once. Not long. Just a quick glance back before walking away.

For some reason that part replayed in my head more than the rest.

Since then, every time I walk past that area, I think about it. Not because I think it was some big meaningful moment, just because it felt oddly out of place in a night that was otherwise normal and predictable.

I keep wondering what made you decide not to wait. Impatience? Habit? Personality? Or maybe nothing. Maybe it was just random.

But here’s the weird part:
I noticed that since that night I’ve been paying attention more. To people. To routines. To how many people just follow signs and patterns without thinking.

It made me realize how rare it is to notice a person long enough for them to stick in your head.

I’m not trying to make this romantic or dramatic. I don’t think you're my soulmate or some destined connection. It was just a moment that felt like it could’ve turned into a conversation, and it didn’t.

So I guess this is just me putting it somewhere other than my own brain.

If by some chance you see this and think it might be about you here’s the confirmation:

Burnside
Green sweater
Helmet
Post-Timbers crowd
Crossed on red

If that’s you, and you actually feel like replying, cool. If not, that’s fine too.

Either way, I hope wherever you were going that night turned out okay. And if it didn’t, I hope the next night did.