free milk

Traffic building on Hiawatha. Cars pooling out of Destiny. Streaming on to Solar. Dairy farmers are giving away 7,700 gallons of milk. Giving away, as in FREE MILK! 2p to 6p. 2-gal limit. A frenzy is fermenting. Gotta have it. After all, it's FREE. Watching the parade of vehicles, I am moved, touched, by this communal gesture. It's a feel-good story. I push to the side any thoughts such as: fancy car, you need milk? take your time, don't cut in; do you even ever drink milk?! Let's not cry over spilt milk. It's an uncommon act of generosity, beyond the economic drivers it entails. And who am I to decipher who needs or wants milk or doesn't? What's it to me? I salute this liquid courage, this solid charity.

I myself don't need any milk right now. I thread the needle through the intersection and continue my drive out to North Syracuse for a cheesesteak with Utica greens. To go.

What is it about free shit, anyway? I mean shit literally. Not "literally" the way people mean "figuratively." If it's free, folks can't pass it up. It's FREE1 Free shit? Shit, I'll use it for fertilizer. I mean, it's free! Can't pass up free shit.