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Wednesday, September 8, 2010

But Lori Still Owes Me 50 Cents...

I’m a hider of things.

Not big things. I don’t have a couch hidden anywhere, or, from what I can recall anyway, any livestock…

No. I’m pretty sure I don’t have any livestock.

But hide little things? Yes. I hide little things.

We traveled extensively when I was a child; and when I say we “traveled”, it’s more like we “moved”. Picked up the trailer and moved. And so, to amuse myself – and perhaps to make myself feel better about it – I took to hiding things, knowing that I would find them later.

For instance, I once a hid a note to myself in the hem of a dress. I liked that dress, but like so many children, I was prone to growing; and so grow I did, right out of that dress. Years later, when forced by my mother into physical labor, i.e., doing something about the state of my closet, I was folding up the dress for a run to the Goodwill when I felt something crunchy at the hem.

I felt around and noticed a stitch missing – not enough to bring the hem down, but enough to slip a note in.

“Dear Pearl,”
the note said. “You look very nice today. P.S., Don’t forget that Lori owes you fifty cents.”

Hmmm. Lori was two towns ago.

Go ahead, Lori. Keep the money.

I think a lot of people find, when things get tough, little ways to make themselves feel better. I’ve found notes in books, taped to the backs of pictures. I even recall, now that I think of it, trying to force a note into the head of my Barbie…

We all hide things: our fears; our loneliness; our hopes, fervent and precious, that tomorrow will be better. And sometimes, we find comfort, no matter how small, in the things we do for ourselves.


p.s. You look very nice today.

27 comments:

Fred Miller said...

This is positively charming. Hope is faith in the future. Time and effort spent in fighting off the blues is time and effort well spent.

The Fred Effect: Am I Gay?

Anonymous said...

What a cool thing--to find a note. A note that makes you feel happy. This was a nice post to read today.

Symdaddy said...

I have never hidden anything ... I just put things away in a safe place ... then I forget where they are.

My wife hates me for it!

I would go get that money if I was you ... and don't forget the interest!!!

diane rene said...

love this post! I have hidden notes like that for my girls, but never for myself. I do love to find money in the pocket of last year's winter coat tho! hee hee

Anonymous said...

Hey! I think I know that girl Lori. Our class voted her 'Least likely to repay a loan' senior year.

=]

Simply Suthern said...

I didnt hide things but I did tend to carve my initials in places I had been.

S_S was Here

Lynn said...

I hid notes in houses I lived in. Behind chimneys, on closet ceilings, In cubbyholes, under eaves...
They were for people who lived there after me.

Sam Liu said...

Thank you, Pearl, you do too :)

You are so right, and your words are moving - we do all hide so many things, literally and metaphorically, and yes, thinking of oneself now and again is good for the soul.

The note from your younger self to your older is wonderful too. I love it when I stumble across a piece of writing of mine from years ago, in many ways, a message itself :)

Notes From ABroad said...

I don't hide things so much as hang on to them .. We have moved 3 times in the past 5 years.. from the Northeast USA to Florida to Oregon to Argentina. I now hang on to everything I have .. Someone tried to convince me to throw things away, saying I could get them in the Next Place .. but that turned out to be not so true .... now I am hanging on to Everything.
Pup included.

Notes From ABroad said...

I wish I had written myself a note when I was young and now could find it. But even better if Now I could write my clueless little self and tell her Things Will Work out..

lisahgolden said...

I love this post.

DLK said...

I would love to have found an old note written from myself to myself. Very cute - thanks!

SeaD said...

Oh Perl, your writing always leaves me feeling happy inside. Thank you for that.

Pearl said...

Oh, what lovely comments!

And guess who's laptop came back from Dell, all fresh and shiny and accessing the Web again?

That's right: me.

I look forward to being able to catch up on your blogs!

Pearl

WrathofDawn said...

What a lovely post! And my, you're looking very pretty today, Miss Pearl!

This post is full of the happy.

Ren- Lady Of The Arts said...

what a cute story- I wonder if Lori reads your blog?

I should write myself a note.

Fragrant Liar said...

Thank you, and you look nice today too!

I love to find things like that (especially hidden/lost money in pockets). But I am always leery when I notes because once I found a note that was actually a poem that my husband wrote, and he didn't write it for me. He wrote it for a girl he was in love with while married to me.

Yeah, notes are not always my fave things to find.

Notes From ABroad said...

Oh no, poor Fragrant Liar .. how sad and hurtful :(

Gigi said...

Why thank you for noticing, Pearl! I did put in a little extra effort this morning. You look fabulous to dahling!

I don't hide things. But I do tend to forget where I put things and am pleasantly surprised when they re-surface again. Does that count?

Cheeseboy said...

I do hope that you someday go back to that town and get your 50 cents. With inflation, it has to be at worth 5 bucks now.

jo.irish.rose said...

why pearl, you should write yourself a note today, so lets see, in 5 maybe 10 years you could go back and find it here, and say something lovely, like you write awesome stuff! cuz i come here everyday just to get a good laugh and so, i see lots of others do the same. we will all be here also when you come back in 5 to 10! (ohhh, that sounded bad!) lol

Jenn Erickson said...

Incredible how you found that note in the hem of the dress years later! What a creative, intelligent, and amazing child! Your habit of leaving little notes is a beautiful way to weave a thread of continuity and positivity into an often chaotic world (especially in the world of a child). Thank you for sharing!

Herding Cats said...

I love finding old things I've written - whether notes or journals. It makes me appreciate the "old me" a bit more.

Ricky Shambles said...

I had a roommate in college that owed me over $400 for sex phone calls. I let it go. It took over 7 years, but it felt pretty damn good.

Unknown said...

What a lovely, creative idea for a little girl to help her feel secure and happy in life.

Unknown said...

Pearl, I moved all the time too when I was a kid and I never thought to leave myself a note. Crap. No wonder moving was so hard. :) Well I guess it's never too late. I'm going to go rip the hem out of my capris.

Haddock said...

That reminds me of the things I keep away "safe" and forget about it.
Usually later when I am searching for item "B" , I stumble upon item "A"