By Jim Hagarty
2013
Twenty-eight years ago, I bought a little blue shack in my hometown. Not long after, a friend of mine dropped in to see how I was making out with my newly acquired castle. I showed him around and at some point in the conversation, I must have pointed out something that was broken and told him I needed some wire to put that together again. As he was in the construction business, he said he had some in his truck so he went and got it. He brought back a big roll of wire encased in green plastic and told me to keep it.
Well, I have kept it. For 28 years.
And with each use, the roll has gotten a little smaller. I have cut off pieces and used them for every purpose under the sun. At first I was very generous with the lengths I would use but in recent years, as the spool dwindled in size, I started to become more careful. Now, it has gotten to the point where I cut the piece to fit the job exactly. And sadly, there isn’t much left. Maybe it’ll last a year or two if I’m lucky, but probably not. At some point, I will use the last of it.
I know the stores probably have identical rolls of wire I could buy and maybe I’ll have to pick up one some day but it won’t have come from my friend so won’t be the same. Maybe what I’ll do instead, is use it till there is about six inches left, then take it back to him and say, “Here, you can have your wire back now.” Maybe he’ll go out to his truck and get me another spool. If he does, that one should last till I’m almost 92.
My family can use the last of that roll to tie down the flowers on my headstone.