It wasn't all just litter

Today, I have been really, really itchy. I usually manage to contract Poison Ivy from the fuzzy leaves in my own yard, but this year, I got a good dose of it while I picked up litter along a heavily traveled road where ignorant drivers don't seem to have a problem tossing out their trash as they drive down the road.

This is the third year I picked up litter, in fact, and only because a kind resident who lives not far from me took it upon himself to pick up the litter on my road did I decide to do a different road where the trash was abundant, thanks to all those litter bugs. I, along with many other caring individuals, volunteered some time to beautify our town one one day or another between mid-April and mid-May. Hey, we even have a name for our mission: Beautify Londonderry.

So, I was supposed to complete this project on April 17, but the forecast called for rain. Not just rain, but miserable, pouring rain. And did I have to go out in the rainy cold day? Hell, no. I postponed it to the first weekend in May. But then something else came up on that Saturday, so I postponed it again. And you know what? If I hadn't, I might not have been so lucky to find what I did, so it just goes to show you: Timing. Is. Everything.

I put it out there to my friends that I'd be picking up litter on Auburn Road and I would be happy to have them join me. But nobody did. Not because they didn't want to, but because they had better things to do other commitments. Still, I was relieved that I could count on one individual, Linda, who I had yet to meet, who had offered way back in early April, to help me pick up litter on my road as long as I helped her pick up litter on hers. But that resident I mentioned? Well, he happens to live on the same road she does and of course, he went ahead and picked up trash on her road before he picked it up on my road, so she was okay with that and we agreed we'd just go ahead and do another road that was in dire need.

She emailed me Friday night to make sure we were still on, and I confirmed that we were, but that we'd be a small group because I wasn't getting the response I had hoped for from others. Still, she said she'd be there. And I was extremely relieved because on Saturday morning, when my 10-year-old had said he'd help and at the last minute, he bailed on me, I knew it was just going to be the two of us, which is better than just me because I would have been really embarrassed to have a cruiser following behind just me with the lights flashing while I picked up trash. Everybody knows it's more exciting to have a partner. And Linda proved to be a great partner; funny, witty, and ready to go.

We opted to break the rules, be rebels, and didn't wear the orange safety vests. We had a cruiser with lights flashing behind us, after all. The vests would be overkill. And while the officer wasn't the cute patrolman I had hoped for, she was cool nonetheless. I recognized her from town as just one of the guys, a little rough around the edges, someone who will tell it like it is and put you in your place should you need to be put in your place. So, Shannon put on her lights and we set off to make a difference.

It wasn't long into our task when there, just setting among the disheveled stone walls, leaves, and debris, was a $100 bill. Not $1. Not $10. $100. I picked it up, inspected it, and even had officer Shannon check it out. She confirmed it was for real. I even heard her on the phone later when I went to get more trash bags from the cruiser telling a colleague what I found. I couldn't believe my luck. I told Linda she would get half, and why not? It was just her and me and a whole lot of litter before us. She deserved it as much as I did.

Now I know what you're thinking. You're wondering why in the world I offered to give half of my find to Linda. At least, that is what my 12-year-old asked me and coming from a pre-teen, I can understand his disbelief. But I told him what I will tell you: she deserved it, too. And she could have just as easily have found it instead of me. It's a win-win for both of us. Would I have offered to split it if it was 10? Probably not. But $100 is a generous amount of money, especially when you aren't expecting anything else in return, and I knew it would be selfish not to share it, and I wouldn't have enjoyed my luck. So, Linda, she was getting half.

Later on, on the other side of the road, Linda found $1. And you know what? She offered to split her findings with me!

Excuse me while I go get some Cortisone. Linda wore pants, while I wore shorts. She is obviously the smart one. We still made a good team, Linda and me. We cleaned up half of the entire length of the road (another volunteer group had done the western half of the road earlier in the month), and profited with $50.50 between us. That's more than half of any amount of gratitude we could ever achieve, don't you think?