COINS, A FOUNTAIN AND A PLASTIC BUCKET

Fountains delight me. I am mesmerized by them. Songs have been written about them and movies made. You find these glorious water features in the most conspicuous places. They reside on the grounds of museums, libraries, office buildings, town squares, malls, home gardens and the like. And they are always the center of attention. You see that water spurting up to the sky, and you are immediately drawn to the fountain. What adult doesn’t reach deep into their pocket or purse, to extract a penny or two, to throw inside the reflecting pool, puddling below? As young children we are taught to “make a wish” as we toss a coin into the fountain. And if we are lucky, that wish might really come true. If only we believe, lore tells us. The truth is, fountains give us hope. They make the seemingly impossible, possible for one scintilla of a second. They bring us comfort. The sound of the water… stills our hearts, and we feel no stress. The world is free of pain, fear. Time stands still. And we smile, don’t we? As we gaze deep within. Throughout the years, I have made my fair share of wishes… as I have tossed countless coins, into various fountains… across this great land. The other day was no exception. We were at the hospital. My husband was having some tests. After his procedures were over, we sat down, him and I… on a bench near a beautiful fountain, outside. With noise all around, there was a stillness there. A peaceful calm. It was in the middle of the afternoon. And as is customary, we parted with some loose change, hoping for a positive outcome. A wish come true. An answer to our prayers. But suddenly… our solitude was disturbed. And we watched in horror, as our money was scooped up by a groundskeeper. He was mopping up the coins, with a broom and placing them in a BIG ugly plastic bucket. Where was the MAGIC in that? Where were all those coins going? To what cause? Surely… it was bigger than our wishes, alone? When we asked, he said, it would be noble if the coins went to an organization like, “Make A Wish Foundation.” But… the truth is, he told us… they go into a fund to maintain the fountain. Nothing more, nothing less. End of story. This momentarily threw us for a loop. We were disillusioned. But we supposed, it ultimately made sense. Look at all the joy it brings to thousands of people every day. Without the fountain… where would all those WISHES, go? We watched this worker finish his job, take the money and leave. My husband and I… looked at each other. Despite our ages, we are still young at heart. Without hesitating, we reached deep into our pockets, once again... finding a few more spare coins... and we tossed them, with reckless abandon, into the fountain. Heads, say we win... whatever we wish. BECAUSE we BELIEVE.

CLEANING UP

 WISH MONEY