Kindness

This morning when I was only about five minutes away from home after my hour’s walk I realised that I no longer had my scarf. I had been so engrossed listening to the adventures of Harriet Vane and Lord Peter Wimsey in Gaudy Night that I hadn’t noticed it slip off. When I left home it was securely tied around my neck but at some stage, after I warmed up, I loosened it. When I realised it had gone I groaned. It was an old favourite that had been my walking companion for a number of years. Resignedly, I started to retrace my steps. As I turned each corner I hoped that I would see it somewhere on the side of the road but it took 25 minutes of walking to finally discover it. Some very kind person had picked it up off the road and placed it on a pole. I found myself saying “thank you” out loud even though there wasn’t a human being within coo-ee.
 
So, it all ended well. I had been the beneficiary of a kind person, I retrieved my old friend and I did quite a lot of extra walking. I was only sorry I couldn't thank the kind walker in person.