Gum

It’s annoying to step on gum, but it’s much more annoying to step on gum in the middle of a really hot day when you just had your car mats cleaned and didn’t realize you stepped on the gooey mess until you got home, walked through gravel, and saw little dirt stamps throughout your kitchen as the dogs sniffed curiously at your shoe. Exasperated, you take off your shoe, which has hundreds of little ridges on the bottom in the shape of the brand’s logo, and scrape off the dirty, sticky scourge as thoughts of Ebola run through your head.

You try to keep the dogs away and then the baby starts crying and your husband is nowhere to be found – even though he’s home. Apparently he’s disappeared for his morning constitution. It’s hot and you’re sweating as you sit on the driveway digging through the disease and pestilence that’s entrapped your shoe and silently swear at the person who carelessly spit his gum on the sidewalk.

About this time you realize your once clean car mats likely are covered in the stringy tangle of stickiness. You wonder why you care enough about others not to spit your gum onto the sidewalk, parking lot, pier, or any public place, and why others could care less.

My friend, Dan, sent me the picture for this post. That’s his flip flop connected to the pier by someone’s gum. Dan is a very hard working dad and was spending the day relaxing with his family. Then he stepped on gum – melty and sticky on the hot pier. Dan dragged the string of gunk along the edge of the pier trying not to leave bits and pieces for others to step on. He tried to use a napkin (the dry pieces of paper just tore and stuck to the gum), then a stick, then dragged the bottom of his foot along the sand, grass and edge of the sidewalk. Nothing worked. Nothing really does when you’re talking about gum. It sticks. Ultimately you end up with a blotchy black patch on the bottom of your shoe that never goes away. Why do people do this? Please stop.