Fate Set in Stone

I put my footprints in the freshly laid concrete outside my apartment. I felt like a big actor leaving my mark at Grumman’s Chinese Theater. I got so giddy that I added my hand prints and wrote, “With Love from Brooks to all my fans!”

A cop came up next to me. He said, “Get up out of the concrete and put your hands behind your back.” I did and he handcuffed me. It turns out neighborhood kids had been leaving marks in new sidewalks over the past month and the city wanted to set an example. I didn’t mind being arrested because it sounded like it would positively inspire others. That’s something a famous actor would do.

But it was hard spending the night in jail. The bed isn’t comfortable and I didn’t feel relaxed enough to fall asleep. I stayed up all night. The next morning I went before the judge.

The judge said, “How do you plead?”

I got down on my knees, held my hands out like I was praying and said, “Like this.”