Once upon a time in the city of Louisville there were two ladies...Debbie and Kim. Many days while they were at work, they'd take a break to stroll around the downtown area near their office. They'd walk around Waterfront Park and take in all the sights and sounds of a sunny afternoon.
One day as they passed the water sprinkler area of the Waterfront Park, Debbie noticed something she'd seen each time they walked by....beautiful lime green vines. Of course, those plants were there to beautify the surrounding area for the folks frolicing in the sprinklers, but Debbie knew she'd seen them somewhere before. It dawned on her....they were sweet potato vines.
After many trips to that area, Debbie decided to investigate further to see if this truly could be a sweet potato patch. Lo and behold, there poking itself out of the ground was a very large purple-skinned sweet potato! Debbie was amazed at her discovery! Kim couldn't believe she was actually digging the potato out of the ground. The city beautification team has planted these everywhere translating to a food supply in major park areas across town. To Debbie this also meant a way to help the homeless by alerting the city of this bounty.
A day or so later on their next walk, Debbie decided to check out the sweet potato patch and much to her delight there was a moldy $100 bill sticking out of the ground where the potatoes had grown. Could this be? Not only are sweet potatoes growing, but so is money! No doubt Kim was a believer in the magical sweet potato patch now that money seemed to be growing on vines. Debbie took the bill to her local bank just to confirm it wasn't fake and was assured it was an authentic $100 bill.
Debbie had been granted these two magical wishes - a sweet potato and a $100 bill - and she just had to make sure some good would come of this magical patch and other patches around the city. Her calls to the local government offices went nowhere as nobody took this news as seriously as she did. Debbie even elevated her calls to the Mayor's office.
A day or so later Kim and Debbie headed out to walk again. Maybe it's the walking that is magical because on this day she saw the Mayor of Louisville on the sidewalk. Debbie, having no fear, walked right up to him, introduced herself and explained the story of the magical sweet potato patch. She lamented about how no one was responsive to her inquiries on how to provide this food to homeless shelters from all the locations that contained the beautiful green plants. His response, "I'll look into it." And Debbie lived happily ever after with her $100 bill and a stomach full of sweet potato goodness.
The moral of the fairy tale? Always look under ornate vine plants, you may find food or funds. But just enjoy your discovery and don't attempt to change the world. Nobody will listen.
***Yes, this is a true story. Every fact happened. I witnessed both the sweet potato and $100 bill, although I didn't see the Mayor. There are sweet potatoes planted all over Louisville so the next time you tip-toe through the water park, pick your vegetables before you leave.
1 comment:
How cool! I hope Abramson does do something with the food supply. Seems like an obvious PR opportunity. When we were in Gatlinburg in October, the landscapers were changing out plants for the fall/winter. Lo and behold - there were sweet potato vines adn the landscapers were putting all the produce in a crate.
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