Have you ever seen something strange sitting on the road? Recently, every time Bop and I travel on a local side street, we’ve noticed a decorative pillow stuck in the same spot. This abandoned square pillow probably once adorned a family couch. Perhaps someone threw it away after years of use. Maybe the owner was on the way to the local landfill to dispose of the item and other things. Whatever the reason, a pillow has been on the road for about a week.
The street that leads out of our neighborhood is busy with school traffic in the morning and the afternoon. The adjoining streets lead to a major six-lane highway with businesses on both sides. Restaurants, car washes, banks, churches, and more are next to each other. Parcels of land, grass, and trees are becoming fewer as time goes by. Construction crews and trucks begin work early every morning to tear down the greenery to make way for new buildings.
Bop and I prefer the quiet and peaceful vibes of our neighborhood. Once we venture off of our street, we encounter heavy traffic. We first noticed the lonely pillow on our way to an appointment.
We commented on how that household item might have been a treasure when it was new. Now, it sits alone. The drab gray color and ripped seams make me wonder who owned this old item that has brought conversation and questions. Vehicles pass by without stopping to grab it. Stopping to run onto the oncoming traffic to grab a pillow would not be a good idea.
Yet, we talk about it being there every day. We laugh at how it hasn’t moved even though heavy rain and wind. Then, we begin to discuss the possibilities of the journey of that pillow on the road.
I picture a young couple purchasing their first couch. I am reminded of when Bop and I were married 47 years ago. Our families gave us handed-down furniture. We were ecstatic and honored to have the pieces of family history.
As a young couple, we had an odd array of living room furniture. There was a chair that had a broken leg, so we told visitors not to sit on that one. It was for decoration. We had a coffee table that had been in my family since before I was born. A bookcase my Daddy made held our growing collection of reading material.
I can’t remember any throw pillows. I do remember placing a sheet on the couch so our dog wouldn’t tear the material with his nails.
The mystery remains. Where did this pillow come from, and when will it disappear? Bop and I will be on the lookout every time we ride that way because, you know, “It’s always a story with the Hendersons”.
Have you seen odd things on the road?
Have a blessed day,
Mimi aka Melissa Henderson
P.S. The pillow in the photo is not the one on the road. Haha!
Haha! What a fun story and I bet you and Bop are still talking about it today, for who would pick up a pillow that’s been lying in the street for over a week now? My family used to see a shirt hanging from a tree way off the side of the road that leads into our neighborhood. It hung on that tree for years and, honestly, it may still be there today! I’ve only caught glimpses of the shirt because I was almost always the driver. I’ll have to ask my family if it’s still there.
Haha! There are many funny sightings for us to enjoy and question. Have a blessed day! 🙂
Good story. Your paragraph on the pillow being alone is like life sometimes, isn’t it!
Yes, that pillow did look lonely. It’s still there today, but most of the stuffing has been squished. Hope you are enjoying a lovely and blessed day. 🙂
We’ve seen odd things on the road, too. I wonder how much of it is from people traveling who don’t come that way any more.
That’s interesting. Everything we see on the road has a story. 🙂 Have a blessed day! 🙂
I enjoyed the stories this lonely pillow inspired in you. I remember those days of mismatched furniture in my home (still have some of that). Keep writing these “Henderson” stories!
Thank you Katherine. I love how God inspires the stories in us. 🙂 Have a blessed day! 🙂
I loved reading this “reminiscing” story. It’s amazing what memories an everyday object can dig out of the “archives”.
Yes, I agree. It’s amazing how we the smallest things can bring memories. Have a blessed day! 🙂
The strangest thing we ever saw on an interstate was an artificial leg. We were chaperoning a youth group. You should have heard them scream!
Oh my! That would have made me scream, too. 🙂 Very interesting. Have a blessed day! 🙂
I can “hear” your author’s imagination in this point. “If only the pillow could talk!” I enjoyed this post.
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Thank you June. I wonder what we’ll see today. Have a blessed weekend! 🙂
AMEN YAWN!!
Have a blessed day! Rest and enjoy the day. 🙂
I laughed thinking about all the possibilities of the source of the pillow. I’m sure glad God doesn’t throw us away when we get old and worn. Thanks Melissa
Amen. God never throws us away. I’m thankful for His love and mercy. Have a blessed weekend! 🙂
I’ve never seen a pillow or anything else that unusual on the side of the road. Somehow I feel sad for it. It reminds me of the story of the Good Samaritan. Everyone passed by the injured man until one person helped move him off the road and care for him at the inn. Maybe this is a lesson to look out for people who need help. Have a blessed weekend, dear Mimi.
Yes, I felt sorry for the pillow. Yes, it does remind me of the Good Samaritan. We can always learn lessons from many things. I pray that my eyes and ears will be open to opportunities to share God’s love. Have a blessed day! 🙂
I love this!! And I bet it would be a great writing prompt. 🙂 It’s often the littlest things that spark our imagination and point to God. So good, Melissa! Love you!
Thank you Jessica. Yes, I love how God gives us many things that turn into writing prompts. 🙂 Have a blessed day! Love you! 🙂
Yes, I get curious about things on the road, too! Like why only one shoe? We actually found “mana from heaven,” as my husband likes to say, while driving home from church one day. On the road and in the ditch were at least 20 packages of tortilla’s that I imagine fell off a grocery delivery truck. 🙂 There have been other things my husband has picked up from our rural roads that he has used for construction projects. Just a reminder to tie your things down in your truck cabs or trailers! lol!
Wow! What a sight to find packages of tortillas! Yes, tie those things down. We’ve seen ladders on the highway that have fallen off of vehicles. There is a story behind everything on the road. 🙂 Have a blessed day! 🙂
It IS fun to guess at the backstory of the unique people we come upon, and the found objects we encounter in unexpected places. i always wonder about the lone shoes we’ve spotted on rare occasions. How does someone lose one shoe? Why wasn’t it on the owner’s foot? ‘Tis a mystery!
Yes, I often wonder about those lone shoes on the road. During a wind storm, I’ve seen interesting objects flying by the house. haha! Have a blessed day! 🙂