A Cockeyed Octopus

My mom was a lover of musicals, and as children, that's the music we listened to. I remember her belting out "I'm Only a Cockeyed Optimist" at the top of her lungs, and picturing a strange, cross-eyed eight legged creature. I thought she was singing the words "cockeyed octopus".

My mom was a single parent during the 1960's Ozzie and Harriet, two-parent days. I'm sure life seemed awfully grim to her at times. She held her head high, and when she retired, she had worked for Senators, Congressmen, and Governors, and all three of her children were college graduates. She didn't believe in giving up.

I'm sure that my mom's innately positive nature has aided her this last week. A week ago, we were encouraged by her nursing home to say our good-byes. She had stopped eating and talking, and was sleeping most of the time. Yesterday, she ate almost all of her lunch and was laughing out loud at one of Kenny's dumb jokes. Kenny thinks his humor saved her, and I'm thinking it was her positive nature, or maybe because I told her that a Democrat was living in the White House again.

I'm sure I got my optimism, and possibly my stubborn nature, from my mom. I advised my customers last week about the new law regarding children's clothing and toys going into effect on February 10, because I believed it was my responsibility to do so. But in my heart, I believe it will be amended or struck by Congress, and all the worry will be "much ado about nothing". I can't believe Congress intended to put so many resale shops and hand made 'boutiques' out of business, and I just can't believe they won't fix the mess they made.

The benefits of resale are so many. To me, good prices are really at the bottom of the list of those benefits. Where else can you shop and find such different "treasures" all of the time? We don't have to order our inventory - it walks in the door, so our selection is as diverse as our consignors, and it changes daily. You don't have to wear what this year's fashion designers mandate. You can find the styles you were so happy with last year. You can feel that you're doing your part to save the earth by re-using and consigning rather than simply tossing the belongings you no longer need or want.

I am a firm believer that resale shops are a good and positive part of this country, and that Congress will figure that out, if they haven't already. Maybe I'm just a "cockeyed octopus", but that's what I believe.