Drags me kickin' and screamin' through fast dreams,
Knows exactly what I mean,
Goes antiquing with me,
and pretty much everything else.
I had the fabulous fortune to chill with my dear friend The Stubby One (well, she's not tall and she's not pale-so she has to be stubby) over the weekend. We have been friends for a very long time, but I still can't predict what we'll be doing when I head to her place (aka Home Of The Happy People). One day we'll be watching Steel Magnolias, the next we'll be making something closely resembling coleslaw. This particular day, we went antiquing and had a Cultural Experience.
During the antiquing portion of the afternoon, I learned that there is a used bookshop right next to my favorite seventies clothing store. Said bookshop seems quite small until you cross the threshold and realize that you are in a danker, claustrophobia-inducing Library of Congress on Steroids. Seriously-it never ended. The Stubby One and I actually found ourselves surrounded by stacks of books on multiple occasions. How we got in the middle of them, who knows-all I'm sure of is that it took awhile to work our way out.
Next stop was just across the street, to a real antique store. Like the antique stores of old, it was full of china and small collectibles, smelled of cat urine, and actually had quite a few animals running around. I think the group of ten year-old boys who were forced in by their mother counted six or eight cats. But no matter-what it was lacking in cleanliness it made up for in Cool Stuff.
Then we saw some pictures that took my breath away. The museum downtown is hosting a collection of Pulitzer Prize-winning photographs from 1940 on, and we decided to take a look. Some were beautiful, others terrible, and all of them made you stop and think for at least a few seconds. How some people manage to capture the raw intensity of life so well, I may never know. I can only be eternally grateful to them for it.
So thank you, The Stubby One, for one wonderful day. And I probably forgot to tell you this (like that time when I forgot to tell you...) but I do love you very much. Thank you for being a friend.
I don't know if you will get this because I am not a member, but I wanted to tell you that our little gander (you used that word, so I will to) downtown was the best time I've had in a very long time. You have no idea how much better you made my day, and it was just by showing your pretty little face. By the way, I am printing this off so I can look at it everyday on my mess of a cork board. The love will always be mutual (except for I love you more)
ReplyDeleteLove,
The Stubby One
P.S. I just discovered that stubby is spelled with two B's not one. Thank you for enlightening me.
by the way my name isn't Emily Stuart, I had the terrible idea of creating a false name and living under completely false pretenses in order to become a little more "with it". (I was in 8th grade, give me a break). ALM
ReplyDeleteAww, thanks TSO! By the dubs, that stands for The Stubby One. We need to do that more often. And I love that you made yourself a pseudonym. That makes you so much cooler than I ever thought you were (which honestly says a lot because I already think you are one of the doggone coolest people on the planet). Love you!
ReplyDeleteLove that you had a great day, love TSO and the Happy People. But as a mom and teacher, love the writing in this piece. Your VOICE is starting to come through.
ReplyDeleteGotta agree with The Management. Good VOICE.
ReplyDeleteAlso, do I have a bookstore to take you to!!! Stubby can come too.
And yes, it will smell like cat pee. All good places do.