A Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. artist who goes by “Mary Tiler More” is the kind of person I hope lives in my town, too. Her brainchild is Tile Ft. Lauderdale — simply put, she paints a portrait on a small tile, writes a short story about each character, and then leaves the tile somewhere in town like on a newspaper box or in a Starbucks restroom. If you find a tile, it’s yours to keep. Some finders look “Mary” up online and leave notes like this one: “I found Paula this morning on the way to lunch… I think it’s wonderful that you do this and after reading your write up on Paula it has made me think of my own life and my own corner. I will keep this always and put in in the restaurant we plan to open as a reminder that a corner can sneak up on you when you least expect it.” Why does Mary paint and leave the tiles? As she says herself, “because it’s fun.” So next time you’re in Ft. Lauderdale, keep your eyes open for a Mary Tiler More. And she just may just inspire a few like-minded artistic folks in your town, too. –Mary T.