On the street where I live..."Suitcase Man"

There's a man who wanders the streets around where we live. I think he might be homeless, he walks around in corduroy trousers, pointy shoes and wears a hat on his head, and he always carries a suitcase. The kids and I fondly refer to him as 'suitcase man'. The special thing about suitcase man is that he is compelled to do a dance, some sort of step and shuffle, repeated several times, every time he comes across a manhole/drain cover on the street. I have watched in amazement as he almost got himself run over because he had to finish his dance on a manhole in the middle of the road, even though the traffic lights had changed!

So I got to wondering whether suitcase man had stumbled on something important about these manholes. So I decided to indulge my inner suitcase man and stop and pay homage to one every time I came across one. It turns out that once you open your eyes to look for a particular thing, you'll see hundreds of them where previously they had gone unnoticed. They are actually quite beautiful, they really are. I love the patterns on them and the fact that something so mundane and practical in its nature has had so much detail and craftsmanship lavished on it. Here are some photos, taken on my street:

 

I think suitcase man might be on to something. Whilst I wouldn't necessarily do a public step and shuffle, I think a thing of beauty should always be acknowledged in some way. Beauty can be found in the most unexpected places, and once we become accustomed to really 'seeing', there are a wealth of things that can enrich us.