This Yellow Chair

I love this yellow chair. It sits in my living room next to the green bookshelf. Both were garage sale finds. The chair cost more than I would typically pay - $15.00. Initially I left it there, in the backyard, nestled between a toilet and a lawnmower; so bright and cheerful amongst its lesser neighbors. But the price was too high and it was non-negotiable. So I left.

I went to visit other garage sales. I love garage sales. Yes, it’s about getting a good deal. But it’s also so much more. I love being outside, wandering about town and exploring new areas. And, I adore those little glimpses into people's lives. You can tell a lot about a person by the books they read, the clothes they wear, the tchotchkes they gather. It’s like walking after dark and peering through the windows of lit up houses; precious snapshots of how others live.

And on that summer day, the day I left the chair, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Other people’s houses were no longer a distraction. I wanted that yellow chair. I went back and it wasn’t there. I felt as forlorn as the toilet shlumped in the backyard. I walked back through the house telling myself it just wasn’t meant to be. Then I caught something out of the corner of my eye, something yellow. In the corner was the yellow chair. It had been moved inside to a place of honor. I bought it on the spot - full price.

And now the yellow chair sits in my living room. I see it right now as I sit in my reading nook and it makes me happy. I am reminded of warm summer days, wandering about town and glimpsing people's lives. This chair was definitely worth five lattes. Definitely.