Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Conundrum


A Million and One Baby Names fell in the bookdrop but a telltale slip of paper peeked from its covers. The last patron left two papers in the book, one titled 'Boy' and the other 'Girl'. Each list had names, meanings and some personal comment (Great Grandfather Alpheus Melvin). I could look up the previous borrower and reconnect them with the list but that's a no no.
I had a crisis of conscience. We agonized over our daughter's name. We were so desperate we even sat through movie credits for ideas. I empathized with the loss of the list. But I also remember my older brother reading the Sunday comics over my shoulder and it drove me wild. In the end, I decided the spector of big brother peering over the patron's shoulder was worse, even if well intentioned. So the list is in lost and found.

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