Ellyn Oaksmith's Blog - Posts Tagged "theft"
Why my Life Gets Stranger than Fiction
Weird, weirder and weirdest. Those three words describe my week. Fueled by creatively induced insomnia, (great for my new book and children's book not so great for my family) I dropped my Trader Joe's shopping bag outside a porta-potty at a soccer field. Hurrying out, the car key in my pocket, I didn't notice that someone had scooped up the bag and hurried into the nearby copse of trees until I was heading out the door the next day. No TJ's bag. No purse. No camera, no cell phone. While I panicked, calling the park, the soccer association and the credit card company my husband calmly traced my cell phone activity. Someone was trying to get a hold of me. I called her.
Here is where weirder comes into play. She was definitely a good samaritan but a confused, scattered and vague one. I could meet her where she volunteered but when I got there, she wasn't there and the receptionist whom we'd agreed would keep the bag knew nothing of the good samaritan nor our arrangement. I began to think that I was being toyed with and should call the police. All was made clear when I met the lovely woman. The place she volunteered was a resource center for mentally disabled people. "Mental Illness is Not a Choice," is their slogan. At some point, I was sure, she'd availed herself of their services. She thanked me profusely for the gifts I'd bought in her. Tucked inside the bag was information about their very worthy organization in case I wanted to volunteer.
Now onto Weirdest. That same day, hiking on a well-traveled pipeline trail, a man began hiking next to me. His first words: "I'm not following you." He then described how much he weighed (200 lbs.) and the fact that he "sunk like a stone" in the water because he was solid muscle. He also fought in a war in a "tropical climate that used to be communist but is now very capitalistic." Um, Vietnam. Last line: "You'd better pay attention to your dog. He's much more important than I am. Much more."
Needless to say, I paid attention to my dog. Both of us hotfooted it down the trail, very aware of the eyes upon us until I turned around. Mr. Vet had disappeared into the woods.
So happy Friday people. I'm going to have a very normal, everyday kind of weekend full of banality. And I wish the same for you.
Here is where weirder comes into play. She was definitely a good samaritan but a confused, scattered and vague one. I could meet her where she volunteered but when I got there, she wasn't there and the receptionist whom we'd agreed would keep the bag knew nothing of the good samaritan nor our arrangement. I began to think that I was being toyed with and should call the police. All was made clear when I met the lovely woman. The place she volunteered was a resource center for mentally disabled people. "Mental Illness is Not a Choice," is their slogan. At some point, I was sure, she'd availed herself of their services. She thanked me profusely for the gifts I'd bought in her. Tucked inside the bag was information about their very worthy organization in case I wanted to volunteer.
Now onto Weirdest. That same day, hiking on a well-traveled pipeline trail, a man began hiking next to me. His first words: "I'm not following you." He then described how much he weighed (200 lbs.) and the fact that he "sunk like a stone" in the water because he was solid muscle. He also fought in a war in a "tropical climate that used to be communist but is now very capitalistic." Um, Vietnam. Last line: "You'd better pay attention to your dog. He's much more important than I am. Much more."
Needless to say, I paid attention to my dog. Both of us hotfooted it down the trail, very aware of the eyes upon us until I turned around. Mr. Vet had disappeared into the woods.
So happy Friday people. I'm going to have a very normal, everyday kind of weekend full of banality. And I wish the same for you.
