A long time ago when housewives were real and the world wasn’t wired, a girl, (we’ll call her Little Alice,) went knocking on the neighbors door, asking for donations of old clothes to be used in her backyard costume dramas. The housewives seemed genuinely happy to sort through their closets, and offered up pantsuits, high-heels, cocktail dresses, purses and church hats. Whatever ended up in the bag would determine Little Alice’s play for that day.
Little Alice grew up. She moved to a big city and began taking theatre workshops with one of the most innovative directors in the world. She was reminded that the act of using the stuff that you have in front of you, was actually a deeply creative, and highly evolved technique for developing projects and getting things done.
Shortly thereafter, Little Alice became friends with a thrifty and modern IT girl whose clothes were secondhand. The ugliness of a used dress didn’t phase her and she was quick to cut a hem, repurpose a dress, tac on some lace, and show up at a dinner party, deshevled, stunning and hot.
About the same time, Little Alice spotted a meet-up of office ladies who traded in their barely used gym memberships, for a brown-bag power lunch, and a lap-around-the track at the neighborhood park.
And further proof, as if more was needed, a stretched to the limit student invited Little Alice to dinner. He couldn’t afford an expensive dinner out but kept on hand a few standby ingredients and dishes. He knew that whatever he had in his pantry would provide a happy meal.
And Little Alice knew, after all, life is what you make of it.
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