Special Delivery

It was the tiniest of pebbles, the smallest of projectiles. But man did it hurt. I was was doing my usual one-hour, loop walk around town. I passed a man mowing his yard. He smiled and waved at me as I walked by. I assumed this meant that he would be considerate and turn his mower so the shoot wasn’t pointed toward me. He tried. At least I think he did. But as he turned the mower away from me he inadvertently, or perhaps carelessly, pointed the shoot right at me. I got zinged on my upper hip. I didn’t see it coming. It was probably too small to see anyway. I lifted the many layers I was wearing on that cool fall day and rubbed my hip. It really stung for several blocks and then all was well. It was difficult to muster up any anger. He hadn’t tried to hurt me even though he had. I’m lucky it was my hip and not my eye. I started to think about how little things can become big things, especially when they happen without any warning. How they can invite us to make poor choices. Choices that take us off our path. Choices that stoke the coals of old hurts. Choices that are about getting even rather than about finding truth. It was just a tiny, little projectile but I think I got the message.

Cinse Bonino
2023