2000-11-18 | 18:33:47

there's this swap meet in l.a. that kicks other swap meet's asses up and down the secondhand treasure speedway. the rose bowl swap meet. i try to go as often as possible because i always find at least one super cool thing that i couldn't exist without.

sometimes it's a groovy, oblong lamp. sometimes it's a vintage top with mod blocks of colors. sometimes it's old black and white photos of people from way back when, wearing the distinct fashion of the day, standing by old-school cars and thinking that they're all that.

i have a mini photo album i've made of these pictures i've collected called "the album of people i don't know." in it, there's a photo of a lady holding a chihuahua in the l940s. and a latino family drinking hot chocolate in an ornate living room. and a black family bundled in their winter coats. and two fat little white toddlers walking down the street in hats and ballooning, lacy bloomers. the history soaked into these photos blows my mind. their unique clothing and lifestyle, their world, their life stories. captured moments in time, now captured in a stranger's scrapbook.

this last month, i found a super-cool, retro magazine rack and a bunch of old holiday cards. one of the cards was actually a little booklet from a class reunion dated 1932. the old-fashioned handwriting spelled out each classmate's name, along with the class colors and motto. there was also a "mission statement" that i thought was pretty touching:

"perform at least one deed of kindness, something true and fine that will enable you to say at the end of the close of each day, 'i have lived this day of mine not selfishly, but well.'"

i think you can see why i like swap meets so much.

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today on a very special girlboy, greg offers his delightfully wacky take on finding a lovely girl of his own.

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