Twenty-five cents. Is it Worth It?

TODAY, I EARNED TWENTY-FIVE CENTS picking trash from the sidewalk and boulevard along my 1,000-metre trek from 4^th Avenue to 2^nd Avenue along Dogwood Street. I get beeps, waves and thumbs-up gestures from people in their vehicles. I smile back. At my halfway point, I stop and check on the condition of Bonnie the Birch, our Adopt-a-Block mascot. Today, she surprised me with a shiny quarter at the base of her trunk.

“Thank you, Bonnie,” I said.

I heard someone approaching from behind and turned to see a pleasant looking women walking at a quick pace. She stopped beside me.

“Good morning,” she said.

“Good morning,” I said.

“You do a good job. You probably get good exercise too,” she said.

“Thanks. I like being outside in this weather,” I said.

She patted me on the back and continued on her swift stride.

I carried on, kicking my plastic bucket along the sidewalk, reaching around for discarded stuff and humming a familiar tune.

♫ Always Look on the Bright Side of Life ♫ by Monty Python

It's worth it.