This Watching Eye never sleeps…
Earlier in the year someone broke into the house and stole a few small items. Small, but they were items of comfort – like a pair of binoculars that I used on a daily basis. Because he had stolen a hand saw I had carelessly left in the yard, I suspected that the burglar was the fisherman who lives downriver…
Busted! I chose to pretend not to notice; I pondered the best way to approach him… “He needs it more than I,” I said to myself.
I also thought that I might find the saw later beneath some leaves or misplaced in the house or gardens. At the time there was no fence around the house, and I should have been more careful about leaving the saw outside where I had been working.
When I pondered his basic life and lack of proper shelter, I reacted (after adjusting to the loss) with compassion instead of anger. I realized how lucky I am to have been born into a loving family, to have been raised with a loose rein, with the freedom to grow up with a proper education balanced with an immersion in nature. How might I have evolved if I had no proper roof over my head or a formal education and the best shoes I owned were a mismatched set of rubber boots?
The canoe leaks but has character.
Instead of being angry, I decided to approach him through mischievous and creative ways. Continue reading
