Found: Saturday, 10:37am
One of the continual sources of entertainment available to those living in New York or another gritty urban center is investigating the rows of trash on the street each day. I’m not so interested in the bagged-up refuse from the bathroom or the collapsed cereal boxes and milk cartons. The best trash to be found are the free-standing items leaned up against a tree or placed on the sidewalk with a sign that says “still works!” With so much foot traffic in every neighborhood, people really bank on the hope that something they’re getting rid of might be another woman’s treasure.
And so it is. Some of my best finds include an avocado-colored sewing box, still filled with psychadelically-patterned napkins, a beat-up white hutch that is a bit heavier on the shabby than on the chic, and countless books, including The New Basics, and A Handful of Dust. It’s a free-for-all scavenger hunt that never fails to, if nothing else, keep you on your toes.
When I stumbled across these records last Saturday, I was walking home from the coffee shop with a latte in my hand, a little preoccupied by some needling, worry-bound thoughts. Not the way to be on Saturday morning, I know. But the sight of these records leaning against an iron railing with the sun on them like a spotlight snapped me back into the present. My, there’s a lot to be grateful for, I suddenly remembered.
Namely, that someone has cast off these vinyl gems that will now find a happy home on my candy cane-striped turntable. Brigadoon! New Girl in Town! And the album to listen to if you’re aching to run through every catalogued human emotion in about an hour, the original cast recording of Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris! It was a sign as clear as any that I should get out of my head and into the day, and that if I did, I’d find it was a mighty fine one. And then whatever it was that had been making me fret scurried right out my ears and high up into the atmosphere.
Speaking of being in the present, is anyone else listening to the Oprah and Eckhart chats?
Juliann: Ooh, I’ve been meaning to get the Brel soundtrack in English. Lucky you!3 years ago
Krisitna: My friend and I have a word for those random found items: “groundscores.” I love ‘em too.3 years ago
Sarah: Juliann, I know, I am overjoyed. And you might want to think about getting the French version. Even though I don’t understand the words, the singers are so emotive it all makes sense.
Kristina, Genius! that is the PERFECT word for it.3 years ago
EB: What a find!!! As a city-dweller I too know the love of the street find. My best finds include an old wine box that now holds my issues of Domino and Saveur, a new pack of ‘meat’ magnets and countless books.3 years ago
cz: How do you have a turntable that still works?! My college one (now approximately 20 years old) finally gave up the ghost. So now I have records, but no way to play. sigh.3 years ago
Joy: Wow – that’s an impressive find. I only seem to find the rubbish stuffed cereal boxes, but I’ll look a little harder now!3 years ago
simone: I’m not allowed to bring anymore record holder thingamajig’s home. They do make fabulous magazine stands though. Yes dumpster diving is the best.3 years ago
Sarah: Sebastian gave me the cutest little record player a couple years ago for Christmas, and I don’t know how it still works — it’s like the little engine that could!3 years ago