Hoops and Eyes

Yesterday, after discussing it with my husband, I asked my neighbor Kevin if he would liked to have the extra basketball hoop we had. He said sure, and when I turned around to give it to him it was gone. It must have been stolen out of our yard just this week. I felt terrible having made him the offer before noticing that it was gone. I apologized profusely and then felt really creepy knowing someone came into my yard and stole it. Granted, it has sat there leaning against the house for two years. I hope it is getting used. I hope I can find a hoop for Kevin. I loathe broken promises and now I feel I broke a promise.

I set out to walk Lily and try to clear my mind.This had shaken me up. I was already obsessing over this. Part of me wondered, if I had missed the stolen hoop what else had I overlooked? Were the kiddy pool and two old plastic chairs still in our yard? Did someone come with a truck and take all of our yard toys in one swoop? Should I go back home and check, blowing off the walk? No, keep walking, the smarter part of me said. I have always thought of myself as extremely observant. I could have even been a detective except I am too emotional and I have crazy hair. At age seven I used to go to the psychologist's office each week and I would spend the session telling him which books in his bookcase he had moved since the previous week. This is what I did for four sessions a month for eight years. I have an acute visual memory and a tinge of obsessive compulsiveness thrown in for good humor. Yesterday I happened to pick up David Sedaris' essay A Plague Of Tics in his book Naked about his childhood obsessive-compulsive nature. I was blown away. He is an amazing writer.

Okay, now back to the walk. When we turned the corner at East School Street onto North Main Street Lily started to limp and rub her face with her paw as if she had an itch. I looked at her paw and felt around for a thorn but couldn't see one. She limped again, pawing at her face, and I saw a drop of blood and a tiny speck of glass embedded in her front right paw pad. I tried to get it out. Blood came out, glorious red drops one at a time. I wiped my hands on the nearby wet grass. A man on the opposite side of the street was walking slowly wheeling a suitcase and wearing a heavy backpack. He crossed the street, concerned, and I told him Lily had a little glass splinter and I was trying to get it out. I showed him her paw and I felt for the glass again but this time when I reached for it, it fell out! He saw it fall out too. It was a tiny speck the size of a pebble. We both smiled as Lily was instantly prancing and wagging her tail. The thorn from the lion's paw! The man said I just thought another set of eyes might help. I said you are very kind. Thank you. As I resumed walking I thought, see Emily, the world is made up of a lot of good people.