THE THING
By Dan Miller
November 6, 2008
There's a drawer in my closet where strange things dwell.
Clearly these are things that I've put there over the course of several years, though I rarely remember when or why.
Out of curiosity, I started digging through the drawer the other day.
There are coins... lots of coins.
There are buttons of different sizes that have obviously popped off pieces of clothing, never to be reattached.
Mismatched collar stays seem to have found a permanent home in that drawer.
Paper clips are a staple of the drawer.... in fact, a few actual staples are pushed into corners.
Because my wife feels safety pins should always be salvaged, there are enough stuck in the drawer that -- when her anticipated worldwide shortage of safety pins really happens -- we'll be set.
Old receipts are folded and bundled.... receipts that seemed important to hang-on to, though I don't have a clue what purchase they represent.
There are scraps of paper with unfamiliar phone numbers....
There are scribbled names that I have no recollection of....
Small strips of paper have baffling phrases, like, "corner with shuffle board."
What was I thinking?
Business cards.... old grocery lists.... a cough drop or two, still nicely wrapped....two or three lip balms, worn too low to use....quite a few old keys that fit long forgotten locks....
And then, the cluttered drawer yields something that's.... well, that's it pictured on the right.
I placed it on the kitchen countertop for further examination.
"What's this thing?" Karen asked, "Do we need to keep it?"
"I've no idea" I said, "I was hoping you'd know."
We studied it carefully.
It resembles a tiny space satellite, but I'm fairly certain a miniature satellite hasn't fallen from orbit into my drawer.
But it looks important, so I'll put it back into the drawer for another year or two.
Whatever it is, I might need it someday.... and, believe me, I'll be relieved to know I still have it.... right there in my drawer.
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