An Audience of One

On a nasty rainy windy cold nothing Fall day, I’m walking down the street thinking only wet thoughts. My mind matches the weather. At a corner I stop to look both ways for traffic. Across the street walking towards me is a girl of about seven or eight in a bright pink raincoat. Suddenly she leaps high in the air, clicks her heels to the side like a dancing pro and landing, throws out both arms. She says loudly to the world or no one in particular “TA DA!”

When we pass moments later, I give her...