Sunday, August 2, 2026

Things that go bump

 Walking down the city streets, a shoulder bump can be commonplace unless you bump too hard. That's how we met, although neither of us knew it at the time. Fast forward a few days, and I'm grabbing some lunch at the Woolworths lunch counter and see you doing the same. There was something familiar about you that I couldn't put my finger on. Standing in line at the cashier, I looked and saw her digging in her purse, not looking where she was going, and instead of moving out of her way, I let her bump my shoulder. That was when the lightbulb went on, and I realized it was her I bumped into a few days ago. How could I forget her golden hair and ruby red lips? The way she looked at me for a microsecond as if she was hurt, then walked on faster. What are the odds we meet again, with a bump being our introduction? I helped her pick up the contents of her purse as she apologized more than once, and I assured her no harm had come of it.

Things happen in the hustle of city streets, with hundreds of people trying to get somewhere, dodging each other as cell phones mirror the number of people lost in a maze, with places to go and people to see, all part of their chosen lives in a concrete jungle. So what's the chance our meeting wasn't a sign of some sort, but a deliberate act of bumping shoulders and exchanging business cards? Time answered that question the day I happened upon her card while looking for something in my wallet. With nothing to lose, I phoned her and asked her out for coffee, and she eagerly agreed.
All the people on those city streets with hundreds of shoulder bumps and cross looks, my shoulder chose yours to bump, and in that very brief instant I knew it wasn't a mistake but rather a message from the universe. A message at the lunch counter and a message to see a bump as a sign that some things do go bump in the night, so pay attention as you walk the city streets, wondering if your one true love walks beside you, ready to bump shoulders and see what happens.
                                                                     

                                                                      



Mike 2026

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