Where is your happy place? The beach? The mountains? Somewhere in between? Maybe it’s your home or a particular football stadium in Seattle.
Mine is a little location called The Container Store. My belief is that it is what heaven will be, that the smell of hard plastic bins will fill the air for all of eternity. Once inside the pearly gates I envision aisles of kitchen products, gadgets galore, closets and office organization tools, garage cabinets and shelving, displays of brightly colored wrapping paper, gift bags and bows (oh, my!) which I will be able to see as my full sight will be restored.
It has not been unheard of for my husband and I to spend two hours in our closest store, and although he likes to tease me, think about it. I am not able to browse the endless rows of practical products, so someone has to spot them first, then share them with me. And he does. He has the perfect out, “Nothing to see here, Sister Rain,” but instead he excitedly shows me the goods. On our last trip for a particular sized bin I needed and found on their website, we left with it plus a new plastic wreath storage bin that Mister Rain found (even though I have one in fabric). The irony here is that when I got a cart as we entered the store, my husband exclaimed rather loudly, “What do we need a cart for?” A Container Store associate heard him, interjecting, “You never know!” When he held up the wreath holder, I smugly pushed the cart right up to him. It is always smart to take a cart.
This trip occurred one week before Thanksgiving and preparations by the staff were fully underway for the holiday season. It was fairly empty customer-wise but I kept thinking how different the place will look in seven days. I also felt a twinge of jealousy over all the cartons being unpacked in order for the items to be put out for sale. The employees surely know what’s inside, but I imagine it to be a bit of a thrill to cut open a box so that it can reveal its wondrous contents. Sort of like when an Amazon package arrives on my porch. I know what it is, yet there is a rush of excitement to its unveiling, even if it is 10 cubes of Puffs tissues. I have previously mentioned that I am in therapy, right?
Speaking of the people who work at The Container Store, I have never had a bad experience with one in my many visits. They are always friendly, happy to assist and can find the proverbial needle in a haystack. I usually come with my iPad, the particular item I am looking for saved in “Favorites,” (11 years of therapy, to be exact) but I have heard other customers ask for “you know, that bin for the attic,” only to be led right to that product.
After we purchased our own two bins, I told Mister Rain to go ahead to the car. There was something I wanted to get him for Christmas. I asked one of the women rearranging some tables to help me. Unfortunately, the potential gift was out of stock and backordered.
As I fastened my seat belt, sad to be leaving but oh so glad that I came, my husband shared that while he was waiting for me, four individual women separately exited the store. All carried bags, he said, and all had the biggest smiles on their faces.
Ladies, I will see you in heaven.
#sisterrain #alittlesightalotofheart #legallyblindwriter #thecontainerstore #bintoyourhappyplacelately
