Autumn is definitely here! The days are getting colder, it’s starting to rain more often where I live, and we’ve had some pretty windy days lately.

When I go out in the rain, I usually wear a hat to keep the raindrops off my face and glasses. Of course, when it’s windy too, that creates another problem. Sometimes I have to hold onto my hat to keep it from blowing away. It’s hard to enjoy a walk when the weather is trying to borrow your clothes.

One day, while I was holding my hat firmly on my head, I started wondering what would happen if I let go. How far would it fly? Could I catch it? And where might it lead me if I had to chase it?

That little “what if” became “While Walking Down the Street Today.” I liked imagining a hat that always stayed just out of reach, turning an ordinary walk into a much longer adventure. Sometimes all you need to get a story started is a little breeze. This is…

While Walking Down the Street Today

While walking down the street today
my hat blew off and flew away.
I chased it down the avenue
but couldn’t catch it. On it flew.
I chased that hat across a bridge,
then up along a rocky ridge,
then through a park and past a school,
and all around a swimming pool,
beside a creek, and up a hill,
and on and on and on until…
it suddenly came to a stop!
It fell and landed right on top
of someone. It was my friend Jim.
He smiled at me. I smiled at him.
It felt so good to see his smile.
We stayed and chatted for a while.
We had so many things to say.
I’m glad my hat blew off today.

— Kenn Nesbitt