Trash to Treasure: Discovering Your Story in the Lost and Found
Posted under: My wife loves a good treasure hunt. Almost every week, she scours the clothes rack for Ann Taylor or other design wear donated to ARC or Goodwill charities for a small tax credit by a debt-laden middle class woman. It equally delights and thrills her spirit when she’s at Dillard’s or another store at the mall and finds leftover winter clothes at deeply-discounted prices during the summer months.
Ninety percent off! I can’t believe I found a $400 dress for only $10 bucks!
She’ll repeat her find like a parrot (my perspective) or like a pirate who has just discovered a treasure chest of gold (her perspective). Her frugality is one of the million reasons why I love her. Her frugality is also the reason why the latest Poynter Online article stuck with me.
Another gem, delivered by Roy Peter Clark, is about a journalist who, on a whim, decided to scour the want ads for story ideas.
“Bird –- Cockatiel, grey with white face. St. Pete Beach area. Whistles at toes! Heartbroken. [Phone number]…”
Long story short, the wire picked up the story, and newspapers around the country ran the piece about an old man with the toe-fetish cockatoo. The parrot was identified when — get this — a woman took off her shoes and wiggled her feet.
Here’s your takeaway: Look for story ideas in secondhand stores — or in this case, the want ads. Dig around in unexpected places. Who knows. You might just get lucky and find a precious diamond in the dusty coal in the form of a terrific story.
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