Weird Science: turning a Negative into a Positive

I leave my house early in the morning to take my daughter to school. So I'm usually wearing sweats, no make-up, and if I'm wearing a ponytail, its considered a fancy day.


I live in a Condo in Los Angeles, and there is an older man that always sits on a bench smoking or reading a book near my particular building inside the Complex. 


The man is just sitting watching the stream of people walking in and out of  their homes which means I have a witness to my disheveled mornings. 
I come back from dropping off  my 7 year-old, get my gym bag. Go to the gym.

When I get back, I'm sweaty and smelly. And there HE is reading a book, or smoking a cigarette on a bench near my door.


I caught myself grumbling about it.  I hate Looky-loues  (which according to the Urban Dictionary means: a gawker that stairs at disasters, accidents, or people in the process of misfortune.) 


But then I had an Epiphany:  I decided to change this man's title, he just got promoted from "looky-loue" to "man from Condo Complex who makes sure no one breaks into our building" and just like that, I turned a  "negative" into a "positive". And who knows, I may just smile at him next time. After all, he is looking out for our neighborhood right?