💰The Old Woman and Her Creative Side Project
How one lady created a profitable solution out of an irksome issue
One sunny afternoon, two big, old plastic rubbish bags were seen dragging behind a small elderly woman as she moved slowly down the sidewalk. One of the bags, slightly ripped, would occasionally release a surprise with every soft step: a crisp $20 dollar fluttering to the sidewalk.
When an interested policeman noticed this strange scene, he came up to her.
“Pardon me, ma’am,” he said. “There are twenty dollars leaking out of that bag.”
The woman looked over her shoulder in shock. Oh, really? Goddamn it! Better head back and try to locate them. Thank you, officer, for informing me.
However, the officer wasn’t finished yet.
Looking at the swollen sacks, he continued, “Now wait a minute.” “Where did you get all that money? I take it you didn’t steal it?
She said, “Oh, heavens no!” in a kind but stern voice. “You see, the parking lot for the football stadium is directly next to my property. On game days, boisterous supporters congregate, and guess what? Many of them defecate on my flower garden—through a knothole in my fence!
She shook her head and let out a sigh.
“I was initially incensed by it. My daisies were ruined, you know. Then I got an idea. When there is a creative way to get even, why get angry?
Leaning in, she smiled mischievously.
So now, on game days, I use my garden shears to wait silently at the fence. I grab hold of the knot hole and yell, “Okay buddy, $20 or it’s coming off!” when someone uh uh presents themselves.
The cop blinked, then erupted in laughter. “Well… That’s one way to enforce your property line, I suppose!
“Just like that!” she laughed.
The officer called back, “Hey, what’s in the other bag?” as he turned to go, still laughing.
She smiled wryly at him and replied, “Well, not everyone pays.”
