My own shelf of shame is practically a library at this point. I tell myself I'm supporting creators, but really I'm just very good at buying cardboard and then feeling bad about it. The excitement of opening a new game is its own little event, even if it just goes straight to the pile. I've decided to stop calling it a shelf of shame and start calling it my retirement plan, because apparently I'll play them all when I'm eighty.

Used to just describe places like a boring list, you know? Like "the room was big and had furniture." But trying what you said about objects changed everything. That rusty gate isn't just old metal, it's creaking about holding the line for fifty years. A cracked sidewalk slab is totally complaining about tree roots. Makes the whole world have something to say.

My uncle's 1985 Nikon still works because he reused springs from broken watches.

My uncle did flooring in the 90s and always said those neighbor visits just slowed the job down. Honestly, having strangers tracking sawdust through your house while you're trying to get things done sounds pretty messy. I kinda prefer the peace and quiet of a pro crew just focusing on their work. Isn't a faster, cleaner job better than forced small talk?