Beachcombing
More years ago than I would wish to admit to, I was seeing a wonderful woman who left an indelible mark on my life. The relationship didn't work out, but I'm honoured to say that she is now one of the most loved and trusted friends that I have. Often, when it came to birthdays and Christmasses the gifts I bought her were a little more random than the average Wednesday night lottery draw. I don't feel bad about this at all, but I will admit that they were the result of my own secret blend of inspiration and disorganisation.
One Christmas I used the classic, Boys' Own, "That's Pretty Cool and I Wouldn't Mind Playing With It Myself" technique. My mastery of this technique was clearly demonstrated by the deathly silence pervading the flat when she excitedly opened the wrapping paper to discover, a metal detector!
After several minutes of explanation and apology (though it seemed like a lifetime), the looks of abject disappointment and disillusionment faded somewhat from her face. I explained that, in the whole town, our front door was probably the closest of all front doors to the beach, and that the metal detector might remind us to go for more beach walks than we might otherwise. It's very easy to neglect what is, literally, on your doorstep. Over the next weeks some fantastic forays followed. Bits and bobs covering the entire spectrum from detritus to tat were rediscovered, but it was all 'treasure' to us. Our hearts always skipped a beat at the first squeal from the detector, even though we knew the find was almost guaranteed to be worthless - it was a find nonetheless.
That relationship ended - and others have passed by since - but the metal detector remains in my mind. I think regardless of whether we admit to 'looking for something', we all subconsciously waft the detector back-and-forth as we move forward. The find might be a rusty nail to be immediately discarded, or a fabulous piece of inestimable treasure, or (more than likely) something that is initially dismissed only for its true value to be appreciated somewhere further down the line. Whichever it is, at the first squeal from the detector my heart still skips a beat.
One Christmas I used the classic, Boys' Own, "That's Pretty Cool and I Wouldn't Mind Playing With It Myself" technique. My mastery of this technique was clearly demonstrated by the deathly silence pervading the flat when she excitedly opened the wrapping paper to discover, a metal detector!
After several minutes of explanation and apology (though it seemed like a lifetime), the looks of abject disappointment and disillusionment faded somewhat from her face. I explained that, in the whole town, our front door was probably the closest of all front doors to the beach, and that the metal detector might remind us to go for more beach walks than we might otherwise. It's very easy to neglect what is, literally, on your doorstep. Over the next weeks some fantastic forays followed. Bits and bobs covering the entire spectrum from detritus to tat were rediscovered, but it was all 'treasure' to us. Our hearts always skipped a beat at the first squeal from the detector, even though we knew the find was almost guaranteed to be worthless - it was a find nonetheless.That relationship ended - and others have passed by since - but the metal detector remains in my mind. I think regardless of whether we admit to 'looking for something', we all subconsciously waft the detector back-and-forth as we move forward. The find might be a rusty nail to be immediately discarded, or a fabulous piece of inestimable treasure, or (more than likely) something that is initially dismissed only for its true value to be appreciated somewhere further down the line. Whichever it is, at the first squeal from the detector my heart still skips a beat.
posted by fwyalchen at 3:11 PM
1 Comments:
I just love this post and have read and re-read it several times today, just enjoying all the nuances - I bet it's going to strike a chord with loads of other people, too. We'll all be left wondering what our own personal equivalent of the metal detector might be...
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