CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS about not "hunting" for things, and I have indeed become much more aware of my surroundings, finding more money on the ground than I usually do. Yoder says the best
way to find things is by walking. So not only am I gaining wealth, I'm working out my calves at the same time. Because West Lawrence is so
Websites that accept found material www.foundmagazine.com www.spillway.com www.kittyville.com
clean it's scary, my friends and I hit
How many people were going to lose money now that I took the note off the meter? Ah, the silly excitement I get out of a little mystery. I remember Meiklejohn telling me it's the mystery behind the finds that makes
ry, my friends and I hit downtown, where we figure we'll have a better chance, and that's where we are now. We find a failed attempt to write a song on a folded up piece of scratch paper, with half of the original content scribbled out. We see a few grocery lists and one letter from a minister to his church, but the rain has soaked
just about everything. One thing does stand out. It's on a small, orange Post-It note and it's taped to a parking meter. It reads:
reads:
I put money in here!! Doesn't work!
Please no ticket?
Please no ticket?
On its face, it's just a simple note, but it fires my imagination. Imagine the possibilities. Did this person get a ticket?
Did they really put money in the meter? Did the meter ever get fixed?
them intriguing. "It's half fact, half fiction," Meikle-john says. "Youcreate the story behind the piece of paper or picture you find." His favorite part is
imagining what the person responsible for his find is like. "I always ask, 'Why is this not in their hands anymore?' and 'How did it get here?' Meiklejohn says.
here??" Meiklejohn says.
I realize collecting objects we find is just one example of our natural curiosity. It's getting a glimpse into a stranger's life for the sake of entertainment and self-fulfillment, and it reminds us that we are connected with everyone in the world. What we find used to mean something to someone else, even if it was only for a second, and because we can relate to that someone, the find means something to us.
"Ah, don't you just /love my hair?"
More contributed photos and notes from Found magazine. Wanna contribute to Found yourself? Check out its Web site, www.foundmagazine.com.
Interested in finding stuff on your own?
Check out the following.
"A Stranger At First, Wherever I See Them" Nov.1 through 3 at The Olive Gallery,15 E.8th St. A gallery of items found by Lawrence residents
"The Found magazine tour featuring Davy Rothbart Nov.22nd at The Hawk's Nest, the Kansas Union, 6:30 p.m.