Why Would Someone Do That?

"Hey look Tom! There's a bike hanging from that tree."

It was early spring, and we were enjoying a beautiful afternoon exploring neighborhoods on Cleveland's near west side. Driving down the hill from Tremont toward the river I spotted the bicycle, carefully hung, high in the branches of a tree next to an old garage.

"Why would anyone hang a bike in a tree?

"I dunno, but turn around I want to take a picture."

Later this summer I was out with my sister Suzanne in Bainbridge, when she asked,

"Have you ever seen the Shoe Tree?

"The what?"

Since I had no idea what she was talking about, we drove down Haskins Rd...

There it stood, glorious, in a patch of woods alongside an isolated stretch of the quiet country road, dozens of shoes nailed to an old maple tree, with several pieces of abandoned footwear lying on the ground, apparently too difficult to drive a nail through.

Why would somebody do that?

"I'm not sure, it been here for years. Somebody nailed the first shoe to the tree and then more and more shoes began to appear."

"Have you ever nailed a shoe to the tree?"

"No, but I thought about it."

Turning down East 52nd St. off of St. Clair, I noticed a portable basketball hoop set up in the street. I slowed down, just in case there might be some kids still playing around, and then I stopped, backed up, and reached for my camera in the back seat. Hanging from the overhead wires were not one, but four pairs of shoes . And, once again, I asked

"Why would someone do that?"