Adventurous Shopping Cart

Short story :-)

    Another day.  Another routine, unadventurous, predictable day.  All of us shopping carts line up close together (too close, if you ask me) and wait for someone to pick us.  One by one my brethren get pulled and yanked apart, and rolled into the store.  Sometimes by gentle hands, sometimes by a careless man, sometimes they are loaded with kids.  To me, everyday is the same thing, no matter what hand seems to grab me.

    Cold hands, big hands, small hands, dirty hands, gloved hands…it doesn’t matter.  They use me for a while, then they leave me right where they found me.  And this place just doesn’t feel like home.  I’m never with any one pair of hands for more than a few fleeting moments before I end up right back where I started.  Everyday.  All day.

    It gets old.

    Yet, something tells me today is different.  You see, a pair of young hands today rolled me around the store, but didn’t put me back in my place.  This time, I was left a little further away from the store, on a grassy patch of land, under a tree.  It’s nice here.  I’ve never been this far away from the store before.

    As I felt the sun warm up my metal frame, and the wind rushed by to cool my steel bars, someone approached me.  This person was unlike any I’d seen before.  He was older, hunched over, wearing quite a bit of clothes (and in a very eccentric fashion, I must add).  He was carrying a huge burden of cans and what I assumed were his personal belongings.  As he got closer I could see his scraggly beard and tattered shoes.

    “Hermphersen”, he grunted as he heaved all his belongings inside of me, and the most curious thing happened.  I felt full.  No, I don’t mean packed with groceries or kids or various junk for sale.  I felt full of important things.  These were this man’s belongings, and he had entrusted them to me.

    His rough hands grabbed my handle and dislodged me from the grassy patch, and rolled me away.  Away from the store!  I felt a sense of adventure and purpose I had never felt before.  It was a brand-new feeling, and I loved it.  As I looked back at the store that had been my home (or my prison?) for so long, I knew I wouldn’t miss it.  I was bound for new adventures in the world beyond the marketplace.  I was ready to see the streets of the city: the good, the bad, the hot summers, the chilled winters… I was ready to be this man’s companion for more than just a few moments.  Adventure…finally!

    And who knows? Maybe someday this man will leave me on the side of the interstate to grow old and rusty while watching all the fast cars go by, enjoying the sights and the open sky.    

YG

Author's Note

This was actually inspired by the book "The Awe-Manac" by Jill Badonsky.

It is a super-creative writing-prompt book, with lots of fun facts, pics, advice, and inspiration. I highly recommend it for the writer who loves to play with imagination and words :-)

Reviews

[Andrew Leister-Frazier]

This is great. I'd have never thought to personify a shopping cart. This is a special piece. I really like this.

[Yari Garcia (Older Profile)]

Hey! Thanks for taking the time to read and review!

~* Yari *~

[Amila Jay]

Interesting write :-)

[0AudreyClaire0]

That was extremely interesting! You did an amazing job of describing the carts feeling and surroundings. (That sounds strange...) It was very enjoyable to read. Great job. :)
-Aud

[Holly Soques]

Sheer brilliance. See, I was going to do something with the prompt you posted in the group thread, but then I saw the perfection that was this amazingly crafted character in the shape of a shopping cart, and, well, that was it, really. :P

[rr458]

I love it! The way you expressed his? its? thoughts so openly and gracefully! Really beautiful! I love how it has such deep metaphorical residencies! I think if you personify more on other objects and everyday things you will get some great results! Keep it up please!

[Oliver Jenkins]

This is really quite beautiful! Interesting perspective! I like how this story can be interpreted in many different ways and has such deep metaphorical residencies. You've blown me away with this one :)

[kathrina]

Hmm...very interesting!
I like how it's told from the point of view from a shopping cart. :)

[Calypso]

What! Very interesting why to look at it's life

[p.kuhl]

hey this is a really cool story!

[Leave me alone....]

oh my god this is awesome! it kind of reminds me of the life and death of a pumpkin. really nice. 100 for you :D