One of my favorite things cost me about $9.99 and I was really irked that I had to buy it…at the time.
So you see what I mean? Pretty ugly, right? This is a refrigerator magnet of an old man sunbathing and I bought it in St. Thomas about 15 years ago. The artist had all kinds of these little clay figures hanging on a display and for some unexplainable reason, I chose to take a closer look at this particular aging dude.
I promptly dropped him on the floor of this tourist trap store and his legs broke off at the knee (please note the glue). Naturally, I immediately scanned the store to see if the manager was in view and, as luck would have it, she definitely was. She muttered some “Break it, you buy it” comment and I found myself dishing out a ten spot for a broken, ugly old man souvenir.
Now, over the years, this old man has traveled from house to house with our family. Refrigerator to refrigerator. He’s been dropped a few more times ~ the last one was right at the neck! ~ but he survives still. I can’t imagine anyone else in the entire world really liking him, much less buying him. I can imagine that people who have visited our home probably gaze at this thing, among family photos proudly displayed, and wonder why….
but he has a story. Every time I look at him, which isn’t often now that he’s been relocated to the side of the refrigerator for his own protection, I am reminded of St. Thomas and of W laughing at me when I got busted breaking the little guy.
He’s not perfect and he’s a little fragile and he has a story. He reminds me of me.