5.2.13


I saw it and I knew that it was meant for me. I knew it in a way that only a lifetime thrift store shopper knows. Our stars had aligned, our destinies crossed paths in an irreversible collision. I was going to take that down comforter and duvet home with me.


I know what you’re thinking. Sam, you’re ridiculous. I know. This is what happens when you've lived in Guatemala for a while (you go CRAZY haha). The past two years I’ve had the mentality of living with less. And it’s been good. But sometimes living with less doesn’t have a point. Living with less with intention has a point (donating the money you would spend on stupid stuff).  But selfpenance is really just self indulgence.  For example: I have been using two woolen blankets for the past four months to keep me warm. I HATE these blankets I hate them with the same passion as I hate watching sports or god forbid, meat (over exaggerationdingdingding). They are ugly and hold on to dog hair with every fiber of thei rbeing (get it?! haha). They are impossible to clean well. But they kept me warm at night. As my dad would say,"Sambo, if it ain’tbroken, don’t fix it (and if it is broken, just use duct tape)."

This was a silly philosophy. I’m not talking about buying a refrigerator or a car, I’m talking about a new comforter. A used comforter nonetheless. And I was feeling guilty, because when push came to shove, I really didn’t NEED a new comforter. I was fine with the woolen mess. But I knew that the duvet at my favorite thrift store (called pacas here) was there for me.

And so I slept on it. Not the comforter, but the idea about buying the used comforter. It was a good idea to think it over. We are so quick to buy things without really assessing their utility and our needs. But the next day I woke up with a prance in my step, I would not wake up under the woolen mess ever again.

At the paca store: Got the price down to Q150. That is just under $20. For a queen sized down comforter and a duvet cover. Score.

In the streets of Xela: Me carrying said huge down comforter and taking up the whole sidewalk (OUT OF MY WAY, FATTIE COMING THROUGH).

At the Laundromat: How fast can you wash this huge down comforter? Four hours. What? Are you going to dry it with a hair blow dryer?

Four hours later in the streets of Xela: I might need a couple of trash bags to carry the thing home…

Tienda (store): You got any trash bags? Is that a fixed price?

Laundromat (again): So the down comforter isn’t quite dry, we’ll take Q10 off the price.

In the streets of Xela: OUT OF MY WAY (visual: Sam carrying a huge purse plus two full ginormous trash bags filled with wet bedding)

Getting on the bus: Mr. Ayudante (bus helper) please take care of my bags in the back of the bus…

Getting off the bus in Almolonga: Seño Samanta what’s in the bags? Hey guapa, whatcha got in the bags? Where you taking those bags? Samanta, what’s with the bags? (I kid you not, everyone was so interested in what I had in the bags)…

My boss in Almolonga: Samanta, what’s in the bags?

Women who sell me lunch: Samanta, what’s in the bags?

Bus to Zunil: Mr. Ayudante, did you just throw my bags onto the highway when it’s not my stop?

Zunil: Take the wet comforter out of the trash bag and hang to finish drying.

Zunil (an hour later): Dry you stupid comforter!!!!! (I lose it sometimes; I talk to myself or yell if I’m mad)

Zunil (three hours later): It’s dry enough I guess.

Zunil (at dusk): ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

1 comment:

Laura said...

Sam, you tell the best stories. Love this one!!