Shopping for the Future Words By: Lauren Blaser Photos By: Lauren Blaser and Eileen Shelton
I was always sure that the day I got excited about any sort of functional lifestyle appliance would be the day my soul perished. The youth would be fully excavated from my body, and in its place a pitiful whisper of the child I once was... undeniably pragmatic and dull. I didn’t expect the day to come at the green age of twentyone. I unboxed my back-ordered Williams Sonoma tea kettle on a warm autumn afternoon, placing it on the stove with the level of caution you might reserve for a freshly risen dough. The cherry red color was a deliberate choice, intended to stand out amidst the overwhelming whiteness of my on-campus apartment. It was also a testament to the inspiration of the purchase: my old roommate Carmen. Red is Carmen’s color. She has a really powerful energy about her, one that leaves a lasting impression long after she’s left a room or stopped talking. She wears red often, but it’s her that complements the color (and not the other way around). She also really, really loves tea. Carmen brought a white kettle to the apartment we used to share with two friends, and although I’ve always been a fiend for mug-worthy drinks, I was hesitant to use the pot at first. “Don’t even ask,” She reassured me repeatedly. “Use it whenever.” And I did. There were weeks of winter during which I heated the kettle everyday, multiple times a day. I became attached to its thick black hook of a handle, and the way it gleamed when I wiped it down from stray stove grease. I couldn’t imagine living without it, so I bought one of my own. I compared brands and prices and appearances for a full week, all to settle on the same brand and model Carmen had. The only difference between mine and hers is the color, which I associate with her anyway.
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