I’m about a quarter of the way through restringing my harp. It’s having a much needed service next month and new strings help with that. I’m also hoping fresh gut, nylon and wire will inspire me to do some practice, and maybe even enjoy playing a few pieces I love simply for my own pleasure. Focus is challenging with so many distractions but I aim for hour long blocks in the morning and 30 minutes later in the day. The long days with so much more daylight can be confusing and it’s definitely siesta season – olé!

I went for a walk late morning to pick up a dress from the seamstress and drop some stuff at the tip. Straightforward right? Take less than an hour I thought. Just past Morrisons I saw what looked like a ditched mobile case on the floor. It turned out to be a phone. I paused and looked around – there was nobody to be seen. I decided to pick it up and put it on the Facebook lost and found. 10 minutes later the phone rang. I replied. It was the sister of the woman who’d lost it. She explained where she was, what she was wearing (a purple fleece and green bag) and I told her I’d turn back to meet her. 5 minutes later the phone rang again. This time it was the owner. She sounded emotional and relieved in equal measure. I told her I’d come to meet her. I waited somewhat impatiently. I was getting hungry. There was no sign. The phone rang again – where are you? I told her I was waiting where she said she’d be. Oh no, you weren’t there so now I’m on the steps here. Did she think I was Wonder Woman, able to fly? I’m not a slow walker but I’m not THAT fast. After a few minutes I saw a woman wearing a green fleece carrying a purple bag walking towards me looking ecstatic and I knew I’d found the phone’s rightful owner. She started to explain what had happened. She was with her grandson, got distracted putting his coat on and the phone fell out of her unzipped bag. She was beyond delighted to retrieve her lost property. She told me I was heaven sent that day (😇) which I thought was a slight exaggeration but there might be a grain of truth in that, just today mind you. Then she asked me her name, told me hers and said that she was Ukrainian. She went on to talk about god and religion and how she was a Jehovah’s Witness and she asked me to take a card and look up the QR code on it to find out more about the faith. I obliged, thanking her although I felt awkward. I’m not interested. She thanked me again so sincerely and gave me a hug and we went our separate ways. As I passed the bin near where I found the mobile, I deposited the card in it and put the entire episode behind me. I can take people like that into my day and I didn’t need it. So why am I writing this? I suppose I felt bad for throwing away the card which had so much significance for her. I’d want someone to return my mobile to me if I lost it but I wouldn’t try to converting them to my ways. Now that really would be a travesty.

The moral of the story? Do unto others but expect nothing in return. Amen!