120. Free

The explosion of Covid illness across the country, including in our mostly well-vaccinated state, is distressing. The uptick in local cases, and repeated reports of people misunderstanding simple facts about the virus and vaccination, are more cause for worry. 

 

So, it is time to take a break—and think about something liberating, something(s) free.

 

In the last two weeks, just from what I’ve seen on my morning walks, I could have picked up a lawn mower, two kids’ bikes, books, tables, chairs, and cooking stoves—one electric; one gas. There are still yard and garage sales, but the new deal on the side streets in Joseph is “free.” In fact, my neighbor and I put one up, and a month later I cannot remember what all was on it. It all went away, save one 101 Dalmatians 250-piece jigsaw puzzle—maybe they counted the pieces. 

 

What’s this all about? Maybe some, like me, put stuff in storage years ago when remodeling, went to look at the storage place—$50 a month—and decided there wasn’t $50 worth of stuff in it. Maybe some of this “free” is sparked by downsizing and upsizing, moving from city or suburb to country or the other way around. 

 

Or maybe, living more restrictive Covid-era lives this past year, we’re noticing the things in the closets that don’t fit or we don’t wear, art work we no longer like, the broken Flexible Flier sled we never got around to fixing, the exercise equipment that never caught on, the books we read and didn’t like. The kids outgrew those bikes years ago; and the old computers and computer desks, cords from who knows where, the couch we’ve come to hate, and that cook stove—I never wanted gas! 

 

The Soroptimist Thrift Shop gets pickup loads of this stuff, but what days are they taking stuff and what can they no longer take? But bless ‘em—they sell our old dishes, plates and glasses for 10 cents each, and give away $20,000 in scholarships each year.

 

Jane Fonda, the wonderful actor and wondrous activist, said recently that she was done buying new. I don’t know what it will do to the economy, but maybe we should try free and Soroptimist cheap for a while—and have the kids put up lemonade stands. 

 

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