FIGHTING THE FORAGING GENE

While scrounging through baskets and drawers full of others' cast off yarns and fabrics, a chat started up between me and another woman doing the same at EB Depot.

She: "What is it with us women and foraging?"

Me: "Like in nuts and berries?"

She: "Yeah. I always feel like some cavewoman coming in here and scrounging up usable stuff."

Me: "Considering prices in yarn and fabric shops...."

She: "I know. But that's not really why I do it. Don't you have more than enough projects?"

I didn't even have to think that one through. I have tons of supplies, thanks to places like thrift stores, East Bay Depot and SCRAP. And not nearly enough time to do work on the projects I've started.

Me (sighing): "More than enough. "

She: "I think it's a genetic thing. In times of stress we women walk around with one eye open for usable goods."

Me: "Maybe. I know other women who go shopping when they're stressed, to malls. I hate malls."

She: "Do you hoard stuff?"

Me: "Do I? I've got drawers and boxes of stuff."

She: "Honey, some of us have rooms full of stuff."

Maybe that should have made me feel better, that others have this obsessive/compulsive hoarding condition or whatever you call it. But it doesn't.

I confess, I have this image of a coming disaster--a nuclear war or climate crisis where everything will break down. No electricity, no heat except burning what we . We'll actually go back to living like tribes. Kind of like that series Doris Lessing wrote about years ago (Shikasta?).

And I'll be the old lady with fabric and clothes and yarns to make warm things for people during a new Ice Age. Or else we'll start growing fur again....