Goodwill is one of my favorite places to shop. I enjoy the whole purchasing experience at my local Goodwill; the treasure-hunting feel of it, the furniture and picture frames that tell strange stories, the fact that I can walk out with a huge bag of cute clothes for grand total of $12.99, the fellow whoppers (That was a typo. I meant to type “shoppers,” but as some Goodwill shoppers ARE whoppers, I think I’ll leave it). I like the old, eclectic merchandise there. You never know what you are going to find. I don’t expect anyone to want to stop by Goodwill with me. Let’s be real; sometimes it smells like feet.
If my mind were a shopping place, it wouldn’t be nearly as pristine as a Prada boutique, nor as service-oriented as Nordstrom’s. It is more of a help-yourself, hodge-podge of ideas. There’s a hot pink ’80s sweater here, a tiki torch there, a Mickey Mouse telephone, a needlepoint throw pillow of a German Shepherd, an antique globe, a lamp base in the shape of a Victorian lady with a parasol. Basically, I’m Goodwill. You never know what you are going to find.
So, it is time to thank you for walking through the racks of eclectic thoughts in my journal this summer. I never expected anyone to want to stop by. The genesis of this side project was my feeling that academic writing all day is like eating salty chips. I like to eat salty chips, but not without an occasional drink. I wanted to set up a system of clean drinking water, which, for me, is creative writing. That way, I could eat chips, drink, eat chips, drink, eat chips, drink, and keep on going indefinitely without getting dehydrated, like some kind of weird frat party game. I bought a cheap digital camera the day before I left Texas, planning to make visual connections to journaling FOR MY OWN GOOD. I never even told a soul that I was going to do it! I am a little embarrassed to say that I crack up laughing at my own jokes sometimes, so I really was doing this only for MY benefit. Believe me, I did NOT think anyone would read it. I left home with only about 7 facebook friends. That’s it.
You have drenched me unexpectedly with a sweet wheelbarrow of affection. When friends read what I write and tell me what they think, I feel so loved! (sigh). I will come home a different girl because of your outpouring of goodwill.