a dispatch from my favorite drain

my drain, with a piece of her missing - it seems there is work being done on this street

I refer affectionately to this drain as “My Drain”. I discovered her (I don’t know why, but she’s just a she, don’t @ me) shortly after moving to our place in April 2020, on one of many early-pandemic walks where I became acquainted with this neighborhood.

I started visiting her regularly. She’s on a slow enough street that I can usually stand on top of her without worrying about getting hit by a car, and so I do. Sometimes when we’re coming back from dinner at a friend’s house, Josh drives back home and I go to My Drain, to just be alone with her for a minute.

On my 30th birthday, I gathered a group of friends together in my home and realized that what I really wanted to do was take them to see My Drain. Much to my happy surprise, everyone sprung off into action. We wandered the 4ish blocks to the drain, past the park, and stood in a circle, huddled around My Drain.

Everyone got it - they, too, l…