Picking Kenny up from fencing in the Colts Neck Shopping Plaza earlier today, I held Ella's hand as we walked across the parking lot in the rain. Reaching the sidewalk, I looked down to help her up the curb and saw her bare foot: she'd stepped out of her maryjane's.

I glanced back and saw her shoe exactly halfway between us and our car. A Hummer was driving towards us but stopped just in front of the shoe.

Carrying her in my arms, I moved for the shoe, but the driver started again and ran right over the shoe! It went under his wheels! I could not believe it. I was furious at him for being too in a hurry to really stop ... or not being a good enough driver in that huge vehicle to avoid the shoe.

He looked as if he were wearing a tux, so perhaps he was on his way to a rehearsal dinner. And I just thought, well, thank God my daughter's foot wasn't in the shoe. It could have been much worse. The shoe is fine, of course. And I'm trying to get over it.