The church is filled with row upon row of the couples’ closest friends and family. The bride looks stunning, her hair, makeup, and gown are immaculate. The flowers fill the air with the scent of spring. Everybody is smiling, most of all the bride and groom. This is the day she dreamed about since she first watched Cinderella as a child
Find a private space, where you can be alone for an hour. Stand tall, stretching to your fullest height. Put your left hand on your left hip, touch your nose with your right index finger, and lift your right leg off the ground.
We walk through row upon row of orange corrugated metal doors. The motion sensors finally detect our presence and the fluorescent tube lighting kicks in, casting eery shadows everywhere around the concrete structure. The person guiding us opens one of the doors and shows us a 5’x5′ space, maybe 8 feet high. “This unit is $65 a month. We keep the temperature between 60 and 80 degrees year round. The security cameras, access codes, and on site manager ensure your items are secure.” As we enter the elevator to leave, we joke that the flashing lights make it feel like there is a radiation leak and we are descending into a bomb shelter. I think this is where stuff goes to die
Where Stuff Goes to Die
It’s raining, and traffic is at a stand still. Today it seems as if everybody decided to simultaneously get on the highway. A driver to my left is yelling at the car in front of him as he repeatedly looks at his watch. A few cars up, a driver is trying to merge to the left, inconveniently blocking the carpool lane. The bus driver honks, and I go back to reading my book.
Black Friday is nigh, one of the biggest shopping days of the year. Stores, brick and mortar and online both, will have sales that seem too good to be true. A 96″ Television for $99! Thingamajigs, buy one get one free!. The latest and greatest gizmo that will be sold out for the season if you don’t get it TODAY! People get up at the crack of dawn to get a space in line, or in some cases get up at the crack of dawn days in advance.
Free furniture?! Yes, free, as in $0.
We’ve all seen the “Free” sign on the street corner next to the fragrant, dirty, and ugly sofa. Is that urine I smell?
