There was a green one sitting in the kitchen, under the yellow rotary phone when I was growing up. There was one sitting in my grandparents’ kitchen, under the window, where I could look out and see across my Gramps’ field to my house.

The yellow rotary phone still hangs on my parents’ kitchen wall, but the kitchen stool has since rusted and broken and been thrown out. I don’t recall what became of the one my grandparents had, but I have always wanted one of my own.

My search for one had always proven to be in vain, not because I couldn’t find one, but because when I did find one, they were obscenely expensive (in my opinion). I always had a yellow or green one in mind, but each time I found one they were out of my price range, even the pretty beat up ones with rust spots. I would find one, run my hand along it, visualize it in my kitchen, and then walk away as I longingly looked at it in parting. I could never bring myself to spend that much money on one, it just didn’t seem reasonable.

That all changed one day, when the antique gods smiled on me (that same day, I bought two other items I had been longing for). I noticed a kitchen stool, with several things stacked on top of its seat, pushed back in a heap of other items. When I finally found the price tag, I couldn’t believe my eyes, it was more than half the price of any other kitchen stool I had ever found while antique shopping. While white wasn’t my ideal color, it was in good shape, save for a small hole in the vinyl of the seat and the seat sticking a bit while lifting it up, but there were no rust spots or any other blemishes, and it was well within what I was willing to pay.

I was giddy while I carried it to the front of the store. I could picture it perfectly in my kitchen, right next to the door when one enters. Its place existed, just waiting for the day when it would come and occupy it.

Not only has it fulfilled this desire of having one, like while growing up, but it has proven to be functional and a practical addition. There is a cupboard above mycheese box (refrigerator) that has been a bit of a catch all in the eight and a half years I have lived in my house. Never being able to quite reach it (even with a small step stool and my monkey arms), I just sort of propelled things up there and didn’t pay much attention to it. Recently, I had the inclination to de-clutter my shelves and the things sitting around my living room, but having a lack of storage space, I searched desperately for any cupboards or shelves I could tighten up and fit more things into. With assistance from the kitchen stool I was able fully see in and reach all parts of that cupboard. It proved to be quite expansive and even with all the things I had “tossed” in it over the years, I was able squeeze things together and add a lot more items. Who knew!

Thanks to the kitchen stool, I was able to explore uncharted territory in my own house, and stop wasting much needed storage space. I knew one day one of my vintage purchases would reveal itself to be an actual practical, functional item other than just a splendid addition and fun item to own.