The Pin
My husband and I haven’t celebrated the gift-giving holidays for years. We already have plenty of stuff—enough stuff to last the rest of our lives and then some. We both hate shopping, unless it involves going to Kroger’s on Senior Citizen Day when they serve free coffee and offer a 5% discount to those of us over a certain age; we avoid malls whenever we can.
However, we occasionally—for no particular occasion—give each other stuff whenever the mood strikes us.
The other day, my husband came home from the Rocky Mount Goodwill—one of our favorite places to shop because we like the idea of recycling rather than discarding stuff—with this little pin. He said he thought I’d like it. He was right.
Some anonymous person—I’m guessing a woman—made it by hand. The base is a concho, no doubt recycled. There’s a watch face, also recycled, and a cancelled two-cent stamp. A few jewelry findings and a dangling chain complete the design.
I like the pin because someone took some discards, rearranged them, and recycled them into something entirely different from what the individual parts were originally. Kind of like what writers do with ideas and words.
Did the pin-maker have a design in mind before finding the parts? Or did she have the parts and then decide how to put them together? Was the design planned or accidental? I guess I’ll never know.
Every so often, someone asks me how I write. I don’t know. I just do. I get ideas from all over the place and recycle them.
For my column, I might read something in the paper, overhear something at Kroger's, get an email from a friend, pluck an idea out of the air, etc., but I recycle all these bits of ideas into my column twice a month. Just when I think I’m running out of ideas, more ideas appear—like a gift from the idea fairy. Sometimes I have a design in mind; other times I don’t.
Sometimes my ideas even surprise me. Just like my husband did when he handed me the pin for no particular reason.
However, we occasionally—for no particular occasion—give each other stuff whenever the mood strikes us.
The other day, my husband came home from the Rocky Mount Goodwill—one of our favorite places to shop because we like the idea of recycling rather than discarding stuff—with this little pin. He said he thought I’d like it. He was right.
Some anonymous person—I’m guessing a woman—made it by hand. The base is a concho, no doubt recycled. There’s a watch face, also recycled, and a cancelled two-cent stamp. A few jewelry findings and a dangling chain complete the design.
I like the pin because someone took some discards, rearranged them, and recycled them into something entirely different from what the individual parts were originally. Kind of like what writers do with ideas and words.
Did the pin-maker have a design in mind before finding the parts? Or did she have the parts and then decide how to put them together? Was the design planned or accidental? I guess I’ll never know.
Every so often, someone asks me how I write. I don’t know. I just do. I get ideas from all over the place and recycle them.
For my column, I might read something in the paper, overhear something at Kroger's, get an email from a friend, pluck an idea out of the air, etc., but I recycle all these bits of ideas into my column twice a month. Just when I think I’m running out of ideas, more ideas appear—like a gift from the idea fairy. Sometimes I have a design in mind; other times I don’t.
Sometimes my ideas even surprise me. Just like my husband did when he handed me the pin for no particular reason.
posted by Becky Mushko | 8:19 AM
3 Comments:
Nice, Becky, and lovely that your hubby knew it was something you would like.
I agree! I had to spend three hours today sitting in the grass in the hot July sun. I luckily grabbed a Composition book before walking out the door this morning.
Today I decided that I do not have hundreds or thousands of dollars for a laptop and have to become more mobile. I wrote little descriptions while sitting uncomfortably for so long. I am sure I borrowed the day as I experienced it for my football article.
I love the pin... one of a kind like you!
Kurt and I are the same way. We don't buy each other gifts for holidays anymore either unless there is something we need. We have everything except for the big ticket items we dream about. We do pick up little odd things now and then if we run into something. That pin is really neat. I like how you compared it to getting ideas for writing.
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