If you were to pay a visit to the Farm o’ Saw, you would note a reoccurring theme. Truth be told, there are quite a few “themes” but one is persistent and consistent. Lil Red (the spouse) likes turtles, and I prefer rabbits. Ergo our home is full of them.
Over our years together we’ve amassed a plethora of items. Wall art, figurines, lawn ornaments etc.. Until the point occurred where we were over-plethoraed. Thus, our collecting became reserved to rare and more unique specimens.
If you have ever been a collector, you are aware of mad-collecting spurts. Where you gather any and everything relatable to your current interest. Only to realize post-spurt that you didn’t really want half that s*** and some of it you really don’t like. In my case this was the case with the snow bunnies. A large painting depicting rabbits in a wintery woodland scene. A $3 Goodwill find that I had gotten my 3 out of. Now it bored the crap out of me.
There needed to be something more retrograde intriguing on that wall. A quick web sweep provided just the thing. A 24” x 36” reproduction of the comic book cover for Werewolf by Night #12. Red was doubtful, but my quirkiness is too cute to resist.
Ordered, arrived and now framing. There was a gift card in my possession that would cover the framing fee at the lobby of hobby. So, with the grandson in tow, off I went.
No matter your interest or design, you’ll find something designed to interest you at the Hob. We wandered around searching for said interest whilst waiting for the framing’s completion. Hell no, I don’t want to “come back later.” Have you seen the traffic getting into this joint?
Completed acquisition in hand, we proceeded to the checkout line. As we took our place amidst the chaos an observance of our fellow check-outers seemed in order. As the patron perusal began a strange sensation struck.
There was a buxom brunette directly in front purchasing fall decor. To the right, a slender blonde with her daddy or sugar-daddy and assorted buggy-full in tow. Both of them attractive in their own respects, but that wasn’t the attraction.
There was a vibe here, currently radiating from the blonde. Who was prattling on to her accompanying older gentleman about her extreme distaste for people who dog-eared books. Compelled I tossed a casual- “Amen sister.” stepping into the vibe. Tentatively the brunette admitted she herself oft resorted to dogearing. When I jokingly informed her, she would answer for that in heaven, she too took up the groove.
Both ladies enthusiastically claimed patronage to the same bookstore and began speaking of volumes they’d discovered. Reining them in I regaled my own rescuing of an original copy of Mary Jane Ward’s- Snake Pit from a fellow shopper’s buggy at a thrift. Both were equally impressed.
When the blonde retorted with finding a hardcover copy of Stephen King’s – “Everything’s Eventual” the vibe apexed. Everything paused and I mentally took a step back. This all transpired in minutes, but here was a moment of clarity and the realization of what weighed upon what I said next.
I almost said- “Stephen King? I have almost all his work in hardback. You should really see my bookshelf.” But I knew that this would amplify that vibe. Extending the situation beyond the checkout.
In that moment I saw the 3 of us exchanging contact info. Plotting ventures to various bookstores. Followed by coffee shops to discuss our findings. Maybe entertaining one another in our homes with food, friendship and films based on our favorite works. There was nothing romantic or adulterous involved. Just a shared interest and desire for communication and comradery.
Instead, I lamely replied- “That’s cool.” You could feel the vibe die. Instantly it was like the conversation had never transpired. The brunette gathered her purchases and left, and blondie returned her attention to her companion. It all went down Twilight Zone style like it had never happened… I wonder if it even did.
We go places. We meet people. And sometimes connections are made. But if we stop to consider if we’ve the time to make more of it, we may find ourselves in a state of relief or regret wondering- “what if?”
I welcome almost all questions, comments via Focus, or E-mail me at [email protected]. Hope to hear from ya, until then try and stay focused! See ya.
