The stainless cabinet was on the sidewalk with no obvious purpose. I could not see any lights, signals, or switches, so it was hard to imagine what would be stored in the cabinet randomly placed along the sidewalk. I have not seen a similar installation anywhere in the city. The questions lingered as I walked on, baffled.
In wondering what the city would put in the stainless storage, I caught myself verbalising what I would store in my reserved cabinet on my journey. It would change if I could return to pick up whatever was in store when I needed it. I considered the warning left by one writer way before my time. “Here’s a piece of bad luck I’ve seen happen: A man hoards far more wealth than is good for him and then loses it all in a bad business deal. He fathered a child but hasn’t a cent left to give him.” (Ecclesiastes 5.13, 13)
Savings express my priorities. I have kept the evidence of the journey I shared with those close to me. My cabinet has a menu, a handmade card, and symbols reflecting the etchings made on my heart during the long journey that continues. I understand that others will see them as scraps and worthless trivia, even as they remain important to me. I have come to appreciate the wisdom-advice that one needs to examine one’s priorities from time to time, if only to remember what one has chosen to keep closest to the inner room of one’s heart.
To be useful, one must remember where the essential things in one’s life are stored. Unless I know where I keep my beliefs, they serve little purpose. When I forget my values, they lose their lustre and usefulness. In revisiting the essentials within my heart and soul, I remind myself while reinforcing the attributes that define my unique character. It can sound onerous. It does not need to be! It is an action that lifts the best from within in celebration to give one hope and confidence for what might come.
