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EXPLORE THE ROOM YOU’RE IN AS IF YOU’RE SEEING IT FOR THE FIRST TIME. PRETEND YOU KNOW NOTHING. WHAT DO YOU SEE? WHO IS THE PERSON WHO LIVES THERE.
In through a stiff screen door a bright read metal door is cracked open. I step inside onto an oversized door mat. The door mat is dirty. It is covered with crumbs, tiny road rocks and bits of hay. On the door mat a stack of shoes waits. Shoes of all kinds. Mostly tiny shoes. Right away I know a family lives here. Shoes are not stacked neatly, but lay where they were tossed. Tiny camouflage rain boots are wet and dripping with mud. Near the door hangs a cork board. But I can’t see the cork board. I only see calendars and school memos. Birthday invitations and important phone numbers. On the edge of the door mat a large shelving unit holds eight cream fabric cubes. Most of the cubes are half out with mittens and gloves half put away. On top of the unit is a spindly house plant sits behind a metal-framed photographed of two brightly colored happy kids chasing each other in fancy clothes. A tiny ceramic blue bird is perched near a little twig basket full of little pinecones. At the edge of the unit near the door, several hooks up and down the exposed edges of whole logs hold an overflowing stack of coats, sweatshirts, dog leashes, hats and snow pants.
A family with young children definitely lives here. There is no need to go further into the living room or kitchen. From the door mat I observe tiny, messy piles of mail, children’s books and tractors. There are cereal bowls with soggy cereal teetering on the edge of the island countertop. An open jar of peanut butter sits near a peanut buttered knife near an open bread sack. In the middle of the countertop a fruit bowl sits with one half eaten apple in it. Two of the cabinet doors are wide open and the coffee pot is half filled with day-old coffee. Some little person, I am sure, attempted to sharpen a pencil. The green pencil sharper is open near a dull pencil, shavings are scattered all over the counter.
It’s clearly a busy household with every surface covered in tiny people clutter. I don’t know much about the parents yet, other than the mother must be beautiful, talented and so funny!
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