A Can Story

This morning, my husband and I walked down our driveway in the frosty pre-dawn to deposit the trash can for its weekly pickup. In the spirit of the season, we taped a Christmas card to it. Inside the card was a little $ for the driver and the picker-upper. They'd been conscientious about returning the empty can to a sensible place, in an upright position, with lid locked, throughout the year. It felt good to say thank you.

I happened to be home when the trash truck came by. I peeked out the window to see them look at the card, look at each other, and pocket it. They left the can and lid strewn in the middle of the street. The duct tape that was holding the card was lying on the sidewalk. Merry Christmas.