The Traveling Rock

You hold me in your hand glaring and about to throw me. I may be a small pebble but I was once big. Some people think that small things are really annoying. Me, I think it might be an easier way to move around. I didn’t mean to hurt your foot, I just needed a ride to explore. I like to move around and see different things. I used to think staying in one spot was the thing to do but now I want to know what all there is out there. My only problem is that everywhere I go I leave a piece of me behind.

Before I was in your hand getting ready to be tossed, I was in your shoe. It was nice and warm. I did feel like I was in there for a while and covered many miles. I tried to stay at the side so I wouldn’t be noticed. I kept thinking about what adventure I would see next. With all the moving around you did it became hard to stay put and I got exited enough to move under your heal. I know I cause a sharp pain by the way you jumped. Even though I am smooth and small as a pea you took me out of your shoe.

Before I was in your shoe, I was tossed out into an alley way. Many garbage trucks drove over me and made the small cracks grow so that some of me chipped away. I waited for the perfect person to walk by so I could hop into their shoe. The sun was hot and it reminded me of the days of when I began. I lost track of how many days I was stuck out there but I knew with enough patients I would be off and running soon. I seen you walk down the alley kicking up dust and found it the perfect opportunity to hitch a ride.

Before I was in the alley, I lived in a fish tank. Thank goodness I can withstand moisture as much as I can withstand the sun. Fish swam by me all day and night. It was nice to hear the bubbling water. I would get removed from time to time to have the algae washed off of me. The washing felt good and when it was over I went back into the tank. When a fish would die it would get replaced by another. One day the owners decided to quit replacing them and the tank got so lonely. Less and less fish doing swirls and bobbing up and down to occupy my time. I found myself alone one

day and then I was tossed out into the alley. I waited for someone to notice me and take me home or for someone that I could hitch a ride with.

Before I was in the fish tank, I was sitting in a shop to be bought. People picked me up and put me back down several times until you seen me and brought me home. It was such a relief because some people had really dirty hands. I was tossed in the air once by some young person thinking it was funny. I sure didn’t see the humor in it. I did enjoy how you admired my strength. I believe you called me a paper weight. I held down stacks of papers for you when you working around fans. Then your kid took me outside to play ball with and broke me up and he tried to hide me in the fish tank. I guess I looked good there because that is where I stayed for years.

Before I was in the store, I was a statue. I was on display for people to see. People would come around and stare at me. Pictures were taken and I think maybe an article or two were written. I felt warm inside knowing that many people admired me. There were people of all sorts, sizes, and ages. The littlest ones would run around me and play games. The older ones would take forever to walk around with their canes. So many stories that I heard from people, sometimes I would imagine they were talking about me. I did not care for how I got to be a statue. A guy with the chisel and file worked day and night for a long time to get me looking spectacular. Then I was pulled down for some reason and something else went up in my place. When I was pulled down, I fell apart into many pieces. The pieces looked cool I guess and that’s how I ended up in a store.

Before I was a statue, I was a huge boulder. I sat in a pile with many others taking in the quietness of the forest around. It was a way different spot than where I began my journey. I couldn’t see as much. After a spell I got used to my new surroundings. I still had the cold night and the warmth of the sun. People started to show up disturbing my new found peace. Me and others like me were picked through by people to decorate their homes. I was one who was made into a statue.

Before I was a boulder, I was on top of the world. I sat high on a mountain. So many sunsets and sunrises. Little chipmunks would scurry across me and eat their nuts. A passing elk would bugle from time to time. The cold air would cause their breath to show in the early morning. Rain would always make things greener and the air more crisp. Winter was cold, but it never really bugged me. Sitting up so high I could watch everything. I couldn’t think of anything else I wanted to do other than to watch the storm clouds moving in and out, see the birds flying in the wind, hear the sounds of the trees talking in the wind, and most of all enjoy the solitude. Then one day loud blasts and huge machines came. They tore up the mountain side for a road and I was carried away to a pile.