Comments on Stephen Parrish: The Purple Monster

Caring and Giving are the things that make my life...

2009-02-24T06:15:00.000+01:00

Caring and Giving are the things that make my life worth living.

One of us Republican imperialists, seeing a little...

2008-05-20T12:48:00.000+02:00

One of us Republican imperialists, seeing a little girl's interest in the bike, would have run out, fixed the tires and chain while the girl and her mom waited, and ran back in before they could say thank you. :)

You are a good Human Bean, Bernard. Of that I have no doubt.

I think I must be in a bit of a teary mood these d...

2008-05-17T18:04:00.000+02:00

I think I must be in a bit of a teary mood these days. Your lovely post had me tearing up at the end. I love when I can laugh and cry over a post. It is what the power of words is all about. I'm so glad the purple monster has found another home.

One of us Republican imperialists, seeing a little...

2008-05-16T15:28:00.000+02:00

I love this story. Thanks for sharing.When we move...

2008-05-16T15:06:00.000+02:00

I love this story. Thanks for sharing.

When we moved to Lunenburg two years ago, we made one friend right away... a six-year old who loved coming to visit with us, perhaps because her home life wasn't so happy. The family doesn't have much money, and frustration boils just below the surface.

Now we had been living below the Canadian poverty line for some time, but we have two indulges - books and warming beverages (coffee for me, tea for Tempest). The little girl came into our house, noticed the two book cases — and every empty shelf — crammed with our treasures, and simply said yuck!. Like she had just swallowed a draught of cold medicine.

Oh no, we told her. Books are the very best things in the world... a place to go where you can get away from sad days and always find some good friends.

The next time we saw her, she was carrying a book that she wanted to show us.

And so we hatched a plan. We don't have the money run this plan as we would, but no matter. Two or three times a year, we go to Woozles — our favorite children's bookstore — and buy her a few of the books that Kristina loved as a child. And we leave them for her... with a note from the Book Fairy.

When she visits now, she sometimes talks about the book fairy, so I like to think we're turning her into a reader.

Last time we were in Woozles, we told the story to the store manager, and made her cry, which completely surprised me. We've spent maybe $20 or $30 a year on our little friend. So very, very little.

Sometimes you can't change the world, but you can always touch other lives in small ways.

I love thinking about the Turkish girl riding fast with the wind at her back. I'll bet the chain never falls off.

We have an official 'Take It' day in June. However...

2008-05-16T05:38:00.000+02:00

We have an official 'Take It' day in June. However, I don't wait for it to put unwanted items at the end of the driveway. Our house is so full of crap we've accepted from well-meaning friends and relatives. If anything enters the house, something has to leave.

I put an imitation vinyl loveseat and chair out, and a lady came to the door and asked if it was free. I said yes and her eyes lit up as if she'd won the lottery.

Son of bitch - I just got lost on a street in Germ...

2008-05-15T23:17:00.000+02:00

Son of bitch - I just got lost on a street in Germany for 2 minutes. Utterly, deliciously lost. Nice. Buy a seat. Put it out next time. Hope they walk by.

What a nice story. Thank you.

2008-05-15T22:58:00.000+02:00

What a nice story. Thank you.

How cool is that? I wish we had junk day!

2008-05-15T19:57:00.000+02:00

How cool is that? I wish we had junk day!

Terrific! I grew up in a place where the dump was...

2008-05-15T19:47:00.000+02:00

Terrific! I grew up in a place where the dump was where you got all sorts of things. I remember leaving with more stuff than we dumped!!

I've spent a lot of time using things others have ...

2008-05-15T16:50:00.000+02:00

I've spent a lot of time using things others have used: well loved houses, kids' toys. My favorite item of all is a spatula, of all things, I picked up for a buck at an estate sale soon after I was married. I'm sure most people would think it was a piece of junk, but for the past 17! years it has served me well. It must be minimum 50 years old, probably much older. It's like the damn thing has good karma or something. It's a perfect balance between strength and flexiblity. Like your bike, someone's throwaway bacame a prized possession. I don't really believe that inanimate objects have spirits. However, I think karma, or whatever you like to call it, saturates places and things. It comes form the good will and spirit of previous owners. Your bike obviously has an abundance of it.

Sperrmull Day reminds me of Junk Day in the north ...

2008-05-15T16:10:00.000+02:00

Sperrmull Day reminds me of Junk Day in the north suburbs of Chicago.

During the week that preceeds The Day, people start piling up their unwanted stuff on the parkways. Since Junk Day day is a well-known annual event, people come from all over the area -- even from Chicago, twenty miles south -- in vans, cars, and trucks to sift through the piles that rise and fall like some breathing beast. Since it's technically "junk" (junque) some think they're entitled to leave your lawn a mess. All I ask is that they be respectful. Take what you want, but don't leave a trail of stuff all over the grass.

I won't tell you what treasures my husband has "rescued" from our neighbors' yards.

Terrific post.

Oh, this made me cry. I've done enough caring for ...

2008-05-15T13:02:00.000+02:00

Oh, this made me cry. I've done enough caring for poor and hungry folks to know the smallest gifts mean so much.

Loved this.
E

Great post! I felt like I was there on Sperrmull D...

2008-05-15T09:40:00.000+02:00

Great post! I felt like I was there on Sperrmull Day. I hope you see the young girl one day, riding The Purple Monster. And I hope you'll blog about it. ;)