Cadence on Flagstones

Stepping out from the garden pathway into the town square, I stopped before an orderly hopscotch grid drawn in pastel chalk across the flagstones. I paused quietly at the border first, observing the balanced geometry of the numbered squares and assessing the distances. Near the start line, a flat, water-smoothed gray river pebble rested against a stone seam. Guiding the stone with both hands, I slid it forward until it settled squarely in the center of box number four. Keeping an even count, I hopped through the first three squares and balanced steadily across the double boxes. Moving through that colorful sequence brought a delightfully crisp tempo to my afternoon.