Free Chalk

I was riding my bike through campus today, concentrating on all the things I had to do, when someone standing in White Plaza shouted, "Free Chalk! Is pink ok?" I stopped my bike and walked up to her as she reached out her arm and handed me that fat piece of sidewalk chalk. She said, "Draw or write whatever you like. Wherever." And then I looked down and saw on the road and sidewalk, people had written all sorts of things, like "I'm in LOVE!!" and statistics about AIDS and to come to their party on Saturday night. Then I looked up at the sun shining through some brilliant orange leaves and squatted down to write "Life is Beautiful".

-h