flashback.

Growing up, I deservedly achieved the status of a treasure-hunter. The less informed often term this trade as a simple packrat. Yet such degrading labels solely stem from bitter inexperience, I am sure. Because I discovered buckets upon buckets of epic knick-knacks, useful for the most imaginative purposes.  I unearthed 50 year old marbles in my back yard, beautiful shells from the algae-infested creek of Ponca City’s “duck pond park,” grease covered railroad spikes in Durango, crystallized rocks in the Enid alleys and gaudy bits of costume jewelry beneath the stairs at church. I coveted the secret grotto of The Little Mermaid, deeply appreciating the fantastic set-up she possessed for all her trinkets.

Needless to say, the most useful findings consisted of actual money. My keen eyes never missed the glimmer of an abandoned coin near the gutter or a penny at the bottom of the pool. To my great delight, my mom constantly marveled at just how much change I’d rake in with each adventure. Once, I even found a $10 bill in the Gulf of Mexico!

Luck slowly dwindled as I grew up, but occasionally my fortune-of-old would return for a few precious moments.  

Flashback to one of our afternoons in Roma: Amidst the crammed avenues of the city and processions of lined-up souvenir carts, I hurriedly tried to keep pace with Maeg as she artistically wove in and out of dense throngs of Asians (a continually difficult process for me in our adventures). I could think of nothing else but my desperate need to sit down, when all of the sudden my trained eyes caught a glimpse of a slight twinkle near my foot…

With an avalanche of nostalgic excitement racing through my fatigued body, I began to yell at Maegan to slow down-immediately ready to recount the talents of my childhood and proudly display the newest booty for my purse-a European coin!

But in the short time it took Maeg to turn around and look back, I was already on my third attempt to pick up the shiny silver and gold Euro, because it had been cleverly SUPER GLUED to the cobblestone in front of me.

The incessant laughter of two Roman vendors on my right immediately shattered the illusion of my briefly resurrected skill, and as I snapped back to reality, I quickly traded my embarrassed feelings for the valued understanding of a good prank.