He Can't Wear A Coke Can

It's barely 6 a.m.; I'm having coffee and watching news about two of Boston's finest citizens who died fulfilling their sworn duty fighting a fire at a Korean restaurant and in the process, saving a next-door pet kennel full of little animals. Sobering yes, but outside my living room window comes happy whistling. I look out, and down and see one of our local trash-pickers going through the bag of garbage I've just put out. Friday, like Tuesday, is trash day and the South End attracts trash pickers because so many people in my neighborhood waste so much good stuff that the homeless, needy and those who don't mind sacrificing a little pride for a slightly used sweater like to shop.

I'm happy because I know he's about to discover the excellent pair of shoes and a set of nicely folded t-shirts I've planted inside one of the bags in anticipation of someone doing their trash-day shopping. One t-shirt I'm especially proud to give-up. It no longer fits but has the silhouette of a dog emitting a gas cloud from his hind-end with the words "blame the dog". I loved that t-shirt and so will the trash picker no doubt. That's the kind of guy I am, always thinking of my fellow man, making quite little sacrifices, right down to my side-splitting humorous t-shirts. Yeah, I'm happy to do it.

I have coffee and watch him picking through it. Will he discover the black Bass wingtips first, the slightly worn Sketchers or the t-shirts? He's in for quite a surprise. I wonder if he'll look up or around in hopes of seeing his donor and give a little nod of thanks. I'm waiting with pride and anticipation.....only to see him throw the shirts aside, dig the shoes out and toss them between his legs, reach a bit deeper and pull out the empty Tide bottle. He sticks that into his little buggy along with three Coke cans, kicks the rest to the side and goes about his way; My precious donated shirts and shoes strewn around the once neatly tied bag of refuse, the front of my house looking much like the morning after of a hobo prom night. His loss. You can't wear a Tide bottle and if you could, it wouldn't be as funny as the t-shirt.

Posted by JD on August 31, 2007 6:09 AM