I feel like a sweater.

Someone sees it in the store.  It looks great, it looks promising, it looks like exactly the sweater they’ve been looking for!  They buy it (hey – it’s even discounted!  Wonder why? It’s perfect!), they take it home, they wear it immediately.  Don’t waste any time…this thing is perfect, let’s show it off!  For a few weeks, it becomes their favorite sweater and they display it proudly for all the world to see.

Over time, the sweater doesn’t get worn quite as often (don’t want to overdo it), but it is still loved.  It’s still washed with the gentle cycle and layed flat to dry.  No dryer for this precious garment!

More time passes.  Still love the sweater.  Still wear it once in a while.  But everyone has seen it now and there is not as much thrill in showing it off.  No more gentle cycle, no more laying flat to dry.  I mean, come on…it’s just a sweater.  Does it really need that much time and attention?  Just throw it in with the rest of the wash, it’ll be fine.

But then, one day…

One day they flip the sweater over and see something that they didn’t notice at first.  The sweater was coming apart at the seams.  Had it always been there?  Was that why it was discounted?  Or did they cause it to happen by just throwing it in the wash?  Oh, who cares.  It’s damaged goods.

They throw it in the donation box (hey someone else with lower clothing standards might want this junk), forget they ever had it, and go out shopping for another, stronger, tougher sweater.  One that isn’t coming apart at the seams.

Anyone have any thread?

~ 03/15/11 ~