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I’m talking a walk the other day in my neighborhood. Typically, on my walks, I will pick up trash along the way and shove it in the bottom of the stroller – waiting to either toss it in a nearby dump since we live in construction or throw it away in my garbage when I get home.
On this day, I see a lid from a soft drink cup in the grass and pick it up. It’s trash day in our neighborhood so everyone’s cans are still at the curb. Pick up had already occurred and the lids to everyone’s receptacles are open.
Picking up the trash, I see my neighbor’s can wide open next to me. In that moment, I decide to do something I NEVER do. I toss the soft drink cup lid into my neighbor’s open and empty can. Why did I do this? No damn clue.
Moments later I hear “did you just throw trash in my can?”
Mother fucker.
This is the story of my life folks. I swear, in my adult life I never do things that are really THAT wrong, but when I do, I get caught. Maybe I’m not sneaky enough? Maybe the universe is trying over and over again to teach me a lesson?
I don’t f’in know. But, on this day I was caught red-handed using my neighbor’s trash can like it was mine. Thank the ever-loving lord that I didn’t decide to throw dog crap in it. Shit would have been bad. Literally.
I admitted to throwing the trash in and joked with my neighbor about him being the community watch, peering out at me from his house. His office faces the street though, just like mine. So, it’s not really that weird that he saw me do it. What the hell was I thinking? He wasn’t really mad about the situation…at least not to my face. But I felt mortified.
We said our goodbyes and I finished my walk. On the way back home, I stopped at his can, reached in, and retrieved the lid. Looking over to his house, I could see him in his window watching me. I waved and he waved.
He texted me a little later and said it was totally fine and that I didn’t have to take the lid out. But there’s still a part of me that thinks he really did care. His can was immaculate. Who has a spotless garbage can? People that care, that’s who.
So, I’ll still pick up trash on my walks because I feel good doing it. But I’ll be damned if I ever EVER use someone else’s garbage can again. They could always be watching, and I’ll always be the one to get caught.