In Her Shell
Thursday, March 19, 2009
  Used
I was looking around my house today, evaluating my stuff.

This was primarily motivated by the fact that we were about to have a major appliance delivered, and whenever there are delivery people or workmen about to come into my house, I wonder vaguely whether they got into this business so they could case houses for their primary business of robbing houses, and I look around my home and think about whether, if I were a house-robber disguised as a skilled laborer or delivery person, there is anything here I would bother to come back for, under cover of darkness.

This is a part of my general paranoia. When I was little I convinced myself that it was plausible that a robber could get caught in my house by surprise when we came home, and be sneaking from hiding place to hiding place for weeks. For years I checked behind every closed shower curtain before going to the bathroom, just out of habit.

Casing my own joint today, I thought that even though I have "a lovely home," and a wonderful embarassment of riches, it's not what you'd call robber-worthy. Almost everything (with the exception of this appliance, which was just delivered by two kind men who even set it up for me even though we didn't pay for that) is used.

I started thinking about the time in my life when I didn't buy anything new. I shopped exclusively in used record stores, used book stores, and thrift shops. It hadn't yet been packaged as 'recycling' or 'repurposing' or 'keeping it out of a landfill.' It was cheap. And so much more of a stalking adventure, to dig through a disorganized mess and come up with a gem, even if it was scratched/falling apart/didn't fit. It was only $2!

I still shop in those places, but not with the same fierce loyalty. I still love the cheapness and the weird people there, the unique stuff you find and the way it makes your self, and your home, a true representation of you, and not something anyone would bother coming back to steal.

This is not me. But what a perfect ambience, right?
 
Comments:
I think I know what you mean.

Oddly enough, we're shopping in more of those places over the past year or so, and it feels really good.
 
When I was little and would get paranoid about someone breaking into our house, my mom would take me to the front window, point to the (literally) mansion across the street and say, "If you were a burglar, would you break into our house, or the Earles?" Creepy and a little cruel, but it made me feel better.
 
I love thrifting. Particularly used bookstores. (used book stores? Does the first way imply that it is the stores that are used and not the books?) Particularly used book shopping in Amherst with you!
 
Bubs: I think I remember discussing thrift shops with you before, and being jealous by the variety available to you in your area!

JAG: Ha! What a great story. I can totally picture it too.

Lu: :) I think the second one is right, but probably the first too, on a different level. Oh man, just thinking about the book shopping in Amherst makes me all yearny.
 
omg there are probably a ton of things i would steal from your house. you ass ume robbers want new, expensive stuff? what kind of classist are you?
 
Thanks! You are no longer allowed to wear your big coat to my house.
 
I still check for lurking robbers.

Did you hear that frugal is in now? It's called "frugal chic."
 
About 'frugal chic': Yeah, I like the weathered wood look and all, but can't see to achieve the same artfulness as, say, the set dressers for the Restoration Hardware catalog.

About the lurk check: Really?
 
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