Take Ten

So you know how something can bug you and bug you but you never do anything about it?


Like a messy desk, or junk drawer that keeps getting stuffed with more junk, or that stretch of road that you drive damn near every day? You know, the stretch of back road that people keeping throwing their garbage on? I know what you're thinking; which one?


I don't know what it is that finally propels me into action. Wrong. I know. It's sheer discomfort. It's the I cannot stomach this for one more day feeling.


It was december 19th, mom's death anniversary. That's weird enough. I was antsy and needed to do something. 
I told Claire, "I have to go pick up the garbage on Franklin Hill Rd. You wanna come?"
She said, "Not really, Mom." 
I said, " No problem. I'll be back."


I got my hefty garbage bags, rubber gloves and went to pick up the McDonald's wrappers and water bottles and beer cans strewn along the road. I tried not to look at the dead 'possum laying near the telephone pole while muttering under my breath at the bastard people who litter. I kept moving and picking up and by the time I was done, I'd filled a big bag, the road was clean, and I felt better. I'm not telling you this to root-to-toot my own horn. I'm telling you because the whole then do something about it thing felt so damn good. 


So, my new thing is Take Ten. Take ten minutes. Do something. 


Anyway, the *rainbow of this story is when I drove down that stretch of road the very next day, it was clean. And I felt happy. 


Note to self; Take Ten.


* the dark cloud was that two days later, there was a new batch of litter on the side of the road.