292 Boxes

I was out for a walk and came upon a hopscotch grid, drawn in chalk on the sidewalk. You know the pattern of numbered blocks – one block, then two blocks, one block, then two blocks. Hop on one foot, then both feet, push repeat.

I was just getting ready to see if I could actually still hop on any feet and looked to see the pattern continued to the next house. And the next. Two hundred ninety-two numbered squares continued for the length of three houses. Sure glad I didn’t begin that hopping journey.

It took a lot of patience, and chalk, to draw 292 squares in a pattern on a sidewalk. Looked like there were a couple of numbering mishaps. Easily corrected by scratching out and redoing. There were a couple squaring accidents, putting one square where two squares belonged or vice versa, easily corrected by adding or scratching out boxes.

Why 292 boxes? Why not go for 300? Why not stop at 257?
Ran out of chalk?
Time to come in for dinner?
Sore knees from chalking boxes on a sidewalk?
Life is full of incredible mysteries.

In this enigmatic life, I like it when people take on audacious things —
My granddaughter playing basketball, after sitting out a year, and found it was hard.
My grandson finishing a difficult chapter book.
A friend caring for a parent with medical and dementia issues, balancing life, work, and family.
Saying yes to something additional at work. Saying no to something additional at work.
Someone starting a new business, despite outside efforts to subvert their work.
Scratching out mistakes and moving on.
Drawing 292 boxes on a sidewalk.

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