Saturday, May 24, 2008

Shuffling Orbit



It's still out there. Almost every object you've ever touched still exists. Maybe you lost it, tossed it, or gave it away, but if it wasn't biodegradable, it's still in the world somewhere.

Maybe it's nestled into a landfill serving as a pillow for a sleepy barbie, or spooning with an abalone ashtray. It might be rolling down a hill in a fondue pot or sandwiched between a couple of Van Halen records. It may not have moved for years but if it's lucky, it's been picked up by one of my tribe and is now living the good life.

I seem to attract people with an eye for good garbage. Some of Joyful's furniture is currently on display in an award-winning eco-home made from old shipping crates. Joyful's own glass artist Hannah Upham makes jewelry, boxes, vases, and bells from broken glass that she has fused and molded in a kiln. For the last ten years, an old friend of mine has been building beautiful art quilts out of cast-off drug bags. Another friend sews amazing handbags out of scrap fabric. The diligent dog-owners of Boulder have made a valiant effort to reuse our endless supply of plastic newspaper bags. However, Moe's Ecomats has done them one better by weaving the brightly colored bags into elegant placemats and coasters.

I like to imagine all the lost objects like bees humming in a layer around the globe, inaudible to people who only speak "new." The rest of us, when we need something, just whisper "please" into that low-slung atmosphere and watch it fall into our hands.

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