Mystery History

Every once in a while, I take an afternoon to leisurely frolic through a thrift store. Sometimes this can be a tremendous disappointment. Other days, it's quite fulfilling.

I am always on the lookout for one of my obsessions: vintage gloves. You know, cute little old-fashioned gloves to accent modern outfits. They serve no real practical purpose but when I wear them, I feel an instant boost in my mood.

Last week, I hit paydirt in one particular second-hand treasure trove. They literally had baskets of gloves and I literally tried on every single pair. I took my sweet time, so much so that the caretaker peeked around the corner at me several times, likely to make sure I wasn't stashing anything in my considerably large handbag - or hadn't simply collapsed of some rare disorder in his establishment. Good times.

Besides the obvious love of the look, I also like to inspect each pair and daydream about the original owner, decades ago. I wonder what place she held in the world when she picked up that pair of gloves, where she may have worn them. Did she take wedding vows in those gloves? Hold a baby? Interview for a job? Fascinating to ponder a life I'll never know.

It's also a tad morbid as I imagine many pairs of gloves end up in such places when old ladies die, leaving behind a house full of such things that end up donated. I wonder whether these gloves lay discarded for years, reminders of a different era of a life.

And now, they sit in my bedroom, ready to accent this outfit or that. After my time, will someone snatch them up for a costume or play? Will a girl like me find them as intriguing?
Hard to say for sure. But every time I put them on, I'll smile out loud and carry on some myseterious bit of history.