After the last Free Swap, I noticed that another blogger (previously unknown to me) had linked to my blog. I was curious about the connection and so I checked it out. Over at burlapanddenim.com I was surprised and delighted by what I found.
Amanda of Burlap and Denim is a talented interior designer/stylist. She can put a creative spin on anything she may have on hand or find on her journey. The post that included the link to my blog was all about a re-do on an item that she found—for free—at the Orem Free Swap in June. She turned a tattered cloth backpack into a decorative pillow for her son’s surfer-themed bedroom. Read it here.
At first reading, I was pleased that she came, participated and found something that she could use. That was the whole idea. Then as I kept reading I noticed that the subject of the project—the backpack—had been mine!
I was so pleased to see that the idea—that is, people giving and receiving each other’s things—worked. To know that something I no longer used could be infused with new energy and be given a second chance at life was quite satisfying.
Our stuff has stories to tell. That moment—when two strangers swap tales about the life of something they both shared—is . . . well, magical.
That bag’s life started in the Philippines, where my brother lived for 2 years (yup, as a Mormon missionary). He brought it back for me. That was around 1992 or 1993. I used it over the years for various things—probably over-used it and that’s why it got tattered. Over time I realized that it was spending most of its time in storage. So, come Free Swap time I bid it farewell and passed it along. That was the end of my story with it.
But the beginning of Amanda’s story. And her surfer son.
Who knows what adventures it will have next?
This kind of thing fascinates me. Community members connecting in the simplest ways. Stories. Stuff. Sharing. Our collective humanity is richer in these intersections of storylines. I am hoping to gather Free Swap stories to eventually post over at the community free s:w.a.p. blog. If anyone wishes to share such stories, please email me at desertgreengoddess@gmail.com.
Come to the free swap on Saturday, September, 29th, 9 am to 1 pm at the Orem City Center Park—on Center Street, midway between State Street and 400 East. Find items in your homes that are ready to have new adventures or come and find new-to-you items that may have their own history, to which you will add another chapter.
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