I walked around with $4

I brought these straight leg jeans out knowing they wouldn’t make it back to the east coast with me. I’d have left them in the hotel room but I passed a Buffalo Exchange and sold them for $16 (cashed $4). Leaving them behind in a hotel wouldn’t guarantee they’d be worn and loved again. 

I walked around with a crisp $4 in my pockets. 

When I turned the corner for the bakery entrance, there was a fat man in a wheelchair, “local paper for a dollar,” he said to me. I had my AirPods out and I handed him $2 and grabbed a newspaper.

I walked into the bakery and ordered a soup, cappuccino and apple tart. I gave another $1 in the white glass tip jar.

Hours later, I walked to the rose garden in the park and looked at the flowers upclose. I noticed the layers and soft petals. I sat on the bench and read for awhile. Eventually, I was the only one in the rose garden and tried to tune into the tall trees that surrounded it. My uber was 5 minutes away so I started to walk to the parking lot. I passed the Japanese garden and fountains and metal green box that said donations. I pulled it open and dropped in my last crisp $1.