EPILOG 1001 — 20100111 — Paradise Found (and Lost)
Electronic Picture Log
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image and text © 2010 Manuel Freedman, Los Angeles, CA 90064

Sunday, January 3rd. On the way home from my walk, I fidgeted about whether or not to put on my hat. I pulled it from my pocket and held it folded in my left hand and deliberated. Usually I wear it because at this age direct sunlight irritates my bald scalp. The sun felt so good on my face, I decided, nah, I'm just about home anyway.

At that moment, I came upon two Birds of Paradise lying like mates on the grass strip between sidewalk and street. Perhaps they fell out of someone's arrangement, or, more likely, they had been cut by gardeners and left there.

I crouched down to admire the flowers.

The next morning, when preparing to walk, I reached into the usual pocket for my Stanford Golf Club Hat, and realized it was gone. Completely gone. Vanished. Lost. I had had it since about 1985 when I began to play a lot of golf.

Distracted by the beauty of the Birds of Paradise, I must have lost the hat behind me. It must have slipped out of its usual pocket, or I simply missed putting it into it and dropped it. In a panic I retraced my steps. It is lost.

I do not have nor acquire many things. But I admit I was/ /am attached to that hat. It had been with me for a quarter of a century.

Saturday, January 9th. Checking out at the register at Whole Foods, the man bagging my groceries suddenly asked, '...Where's your hat?..'

I suppose he is not a total stranger, since along with thousands of other shoppers there, he has seen me over the years. The impact his remark had on me was profound. I felt the gentle warmth of human kindness from him. In tears, I thanked him and left the store, wheeling my cart out into the sunlight.

I opened the sunroof and reached for my Stanford Golf Hat, but it had transformed into the back-up hat--the terry-cloth Silverado hat. It is a youngster. I have only had that one since 1997.

Nah, I thought. The sun roof is open. Let the sun shine on my bald head today.

Sunday, January 10th. The Bird's mate was still lying on the grass strip, so I brought it home, too.

Peace
Max
MAX FREEDMAN MEDIA (MFM LA*UK) ~ maxfmedia@gmail.com