Signs and Portents

This is a true story.

This evening I was walking along with my wife outside in our little suburban enclave. The houses are generally set back on hills and the area is relatively quiet.

As we walked, we saw a red looking object rolling towards us. At first, I thought it was a kickball, but it turned out to be a basketball. It rolled all the way down the road from about 100 yards away, and it stopped.

I retrieved the basketball. Someone came running by and I thought "Aha! The owner of the basketball!" But as it turns out, he was an ordinary jogger who denied ownership.

Surely someone must have lost this basketball. It was well worn but it looked in good condition. My wife and I stood around for five minutes, but there wasn't a soul in sight.

I didn't want to abandon the basketball. I simply picked it up as claimed property, and as of now, I own a basketball. This is the only basketball I have ever owned. It must be a sign of something, even if the only sign is "maybe you ought to try playing some basketball."