Franz Von Vutontucker was riddled with assumptions. As he ventured through life he would pass by strangers and make up stories in his head, observing from a distance.

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Franz rode by the old man who was painting his mailbox on a scorching hot summer day. The boy thought to himself, "This old man must really care for his things". He thought this because of the way the old man was taking his time and was patient with how he transferred his paint from the paintbrush to the mailbox. Franz watched the man apply slow brush strokes that breathed new life into the mailbox that has collected the old man's mail for the past 42 years. Maybe the old man thought the mail carrier would recognize the new paint job? Maybe it would put a smile on their face? Maybe he liked the idea that he was able to control his things and keep things neat and tidy. But this world is far from being neat and tidy. And the old man actually struggled with the reality of the world and did not understand the turmoil that riddled it. He wanted a time where things were simple. A time where your words mattered and people respected one another. He was an aging man but his core beliefs were ageless. Treat your neighbor as you would want to be treated. Do the right thing. But in the light of it all the old man recognized that maybe it was him not moving along with time and that his beliefs sat in a time that didn’t exist anymore? He pondered at the idea that maybe we were a community of people that were evolving, and that might be a good thing.

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Franz racked up his bike in the garage, took one last look across the lawn at the old man and finally shut the garage door.