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I have this thing. Compulsion. Addiction. I have no self-restraint whatsoever when it comes to those vending machines at the grocery store. You know the ones, with the tacky little metal rings that will turn your finger green. Stickers. Slime. Bouncy balls. Just…stuff. For quarters.
When I was growing up my mother absolutely forbade, on the rare chance that we were any place that had them, me from having any of that wonderful junk in the machines. We all know what that does to a kid, right? Makes them want it even more. Need it, even.
I once snuck out of a hotel room to get my mitts on a jelly bracelet from a vending machine across the street in this greasy little deli. My parents would have been struck with horror if they knew I went into such a place, never mind the rubber hoop I was after. I got it though. It was semi-transparent and neon pink. I kept it in my pocket for months.
You’d think I’d have grown out of that, right? Nope. I absolutely cannot walk past a bank of those things without putting at least one quarter in them to get something. I once used an entire roll of quarters to get the exact color bouncy ball I wanted out of a machine. I have an entire bucket of little treasures sitting in my apartment. One of those big twenty gallon buckets janitors use to mop the floors with.
I make jewelry out of some of it; sometimes I just give people random little gifts. Who doesn’t like a red sticky hand? Ball of silly putty? Sometimes I’ll just give whatever it is to any kids standing at the machines with me. It’s fun.
When I was growing up my mother absolutely forbade, on the rare chance that we were any place that had them, me from having any of that wonderful junk in the machines. We all know what that does to a kid, right? Makes them want it even more. Need it, even.
I once snuck out of a hotel room to get my mitts on a jelly bracelet from a vending machine across the street in this greasy little deli. My parents would have been struck with horror if they knew I went into such a place, never mind the rubber hoop I was after. I got it though. It was semi-transparent and neon pink. I kept it in my pocket for months.
You’d think I’d have grown out of that, right? Nope. I absolutely cannot walk past a bank of those things without putting at least one quarter in them to get something. I once used an entire roll of quarters to get the exact color bouncy ball I wanted out of a machine. I have an entire bucket of little treasures sitting in my apartment. One of those big twenty gallon buckets janitors use to mop the floors with.
I make jewelry out of some of it; sometimes I just give people random little gifts. Who doesn’t like a red sticky hand? Ball of silly putty? Sometimes I’ll just give whatever it is to any kids standing at the machines with me. It’s fun.
