bend-overs

when i was a kid i loved to comb the beach looking for sharks' teeth. head hung low, eyes scanning the broken shells for that distinctive shape that only could be a sloughed tooth from a growing shark.

well, or a bend-over.

see, there are actually lots of things on the beach that look very much like sharks' teeth from 4 or 5 feet up and we always called those 'bend-overs'. it gave you something to say to explain your otherwise inexplicable abrupt stop in the middle of a stroll to reach to the sand and then come up empty handed.

'bend-over'
'oh.. too bad.. looked like a good one..'

it reminds me of a story i've heard told in a number of places, including one of my favorite movies, about a native american who was told to go and check every day for the approaching ships of the settlers. and every day he would go and look out over the water and see nothing and report that back to camp.

then one day the indian is accompanied by someone else (details escape me.. i'm probably botching them) to go out and check and this other indian dude looks and sees the ships approaching. and once the boats are described to indian #1, then he can see them. he doesn't see them because he doesn't know what he's looking for.. and conversely - the indian who does know what he's seeing, sees them.

(trust me, it's much better told by anyone else. anyone.)

yesterday on my way to haley's to pick up mega, i noticed on a church readerboard, 'you mostly see what you are looking for.'

how true it is.

in the quest for what i'm looking for, i know it's important to keep my eye focused on what i want.. the outline of the tooth is as sharp as the tooth itself in my mind's eye and a willingness to check the bend-overs.. (as i'm affectionately terming the not-yet-winning-lottery-tickets)

d: clear outlines in my mind's eye
b: i'm very diligent about checking the bend-overs.
g: i found teeth in haley. uh huh. no bend-over there.