Friday, April 2, 2010

Feel Good Friday: Dumpster Diving

Here I go again, back for more Feel Good Friday presented by The Girl Next Door Grows Up.

I chose prompt #2 this week:

Write about something that happened to you this week that really made you smile. Was it your child, husband, or maybe a complete stranger did to you?

Well, here's a little story about something that a stranger did that is just too good not to share ;)

Does anyone remember the "Stop glaring at my son and go back to pretending your kids are perfect" post from way back in November? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller??

Well, we decided to give storytime at the public library another shot a few nights ago. It was...I can't sugarcoat this one -- it sucked. He lasted for approx. 10 minutes being fully engaged in the songs and the stories and then it was all over. Suddenly my two year old decided it was way more important to throw a fit over the animal crackers in the diaper bag that I wouldn't let him have. So, needless to say, we left. Such is life with our spunkalicious boy. (I totally just made up that word and I kinda dig it.) He has been such a doll as of late I really can't complain.

As we were walking out of the library and back to our car we noticed an older, well-dressed gentleman walking toward the dumpsters behind the library. I didn't think much of it until he opened up the lid to those dumpsters and started digging through.

Now, normally I would be a mixture of horrified and sad that someone feels the need to dig through dumpsters to get what they need in life. But this time? This time I was thinking that this man is a genius.

Grant and I shot each other an "OMG" look as we watched this guy pull out BOOK after BOOK. He would check out the title, keep the ones that he wanted and throw the others back in. He was shopping for discarded books in the library dumpster. Sad? NO. Brilliant!

I'm sure the library has some pretty good reasons for throwing out books that can't be recycled or given to Goodwill. They are probably old, damaged, spilled on, ripped apart or just so out of date they have no relevance anymore to anyone. I am not questioning the library at all. I am the biggest fan of public libraries that you will ever meet. Clearly a woman invented public library because they are JUST. THAT. COOL.

What's the saying? One person's trash is another person's treasure? YEP.

It was all I could do not to run over and dig through there with him.

Okay, that's a lie. The germaphobe in me repels against dumpster diving of any sort. But I really did want to go over there and ask him what in the world ever possessed him to start looking for tossed out books in the library dumpster. Truly, if I was a documentarian this would be a fascinating subject, yes? What lengths people go to and how creative they get to save a buck!

And what did Frugal Grant think?

I think I saw a tear in his eye. This man is now his hero.

7 comments:

  1. I wonder what kind of goodies he found in there?

    My husband works at a local college here and they toss all sorts of things that now have homes here, in our garage or our playroom.

    Cute post. It made me smile too.

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  2. I like this post it made me smile!! And gave me an idea for a blog post I have a simular story thanks :)

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  3. I wonder if the guy happened by one time and saw them throwing books out?
    Your son is lucky.

    from FGF

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  4. That's a great dumpster to dive in if you're going to do that type of thing!

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  5. Just think... even if you didn't like the books you found, you could maybe get store credit for them at a used book store! Brilliant!

    Also, kind of gross.

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  6. I remember your 1st trip to the library!! I do!

    I am sorry I am so late it has been a hard weekend.

    I love what that guy did. I should tell my dad - he is frugal as well, but also a germaphobe.

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  7. so funny!
    Don't worry, Elia couldn't do those types of storytimes or group activities until just recently, at 3 years old. When I took her out as a toddler made me nervous the entire time and I had to give her food, toys, bottles, etc. to keep her busy- wasn't fun for either of us and wasn't worth it. She's very active!
    I love the library, and the little "friends bookstore" attached- we've gotten out best books from that place!
    I never would have thought that they threw books away in the dumpster- what a great idea that man had! :)

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