on the small island where i live it is common for people to have roadside stands at the end of their driveway. stands where they sell surplus fruit & veggies from their garden.

today i discovered a stand selling roses.

which is a treat not only because it’s difficult to keep the deer from eating the roses.

but also a treat because these were those old roses that are ever so fragrant.

the stand sign said $5 for the roses and please don’t take the glass jar (the stands are on the honor system which is also lovely to experience).

a look in my wallet showed i didn’t have $5. smallest bill was a $10.

hmm what to do.

because i really wanted the deep crimson ones that were really, really fragrant.

then i noticed one empty jar so looked for the $5 for the roses that been removed.

no $s in sight. which may have meant that someone helped themselves or more likely that someone also didn’t have $5 and intended to drop the $5 another time.

which i also considered doing but didn’t feel 100% right about 2 of us doing it the same day.

then i thought well do a version of pay it forward. you have $10. that’s the price of the 2 missing bunches. when the owner makes the trek down the driveway all will be well. 

and here’s the weird part.

as i reached into my wallet to take out the $10 suddenly the bills felt unreal. like monopoly money.

and i truly got how it’s all a game!

the money isn’t “real”. o