The Pawn Shop

Willow kept eyeing her portable DVD player. I'm gonna have to sell it. I have to get the money for the gas bill. That's all there is to it, she thought. She'd hope on the first day of the year that she wouldn't have to go back down this road again. However, during her practice of manifestation and visualization, she remembered that her only task is to believe she has money even when she doesn't have anything tangible - as far as 'how' she'll get the money is up to the Universe.

The gas bill, which was due two days from her decision, was an immediate necessity. She swallowed her pride, grabbed the DVD player and the accessories that went with it heading off to a local pawn shop about ten minutes away from her place.
* * *

As she stepped inside the pawn shop, there were a few people waiting in line with valuables they needed to trade in for gas in the car, groceries, bills, or all of the above. The man pawning a bow and arrow set kept talking and talking and talking about everything under the sun. His daughter (Willow assumed it was his daughter) was just standing there waiting for someone (him or whoever) to take her home. After several more minutes of talking, finally the man wrapped up his random bits of conversation so the next person in line would have a chance to get some money and feel a little better about their financial situation, even if only for one day....more like one hour.

A few other employees came from the back of the store out front. One of them said, "Whose next?" A woman in front of Willow in line stepped up to the counter.

"I was wondering how much I could get for this," she handed the man a gold ring off her finger on her left hand.

"Hmmm....let me go in the back and check for you, ma'am," he said.

"Okay...thanks," she started to look around at the items for sale in the shop.

Another customer left out the door while another one came through the door, the lady employee at the counter looked in Willow's direction, "Yes ma'am, how can I help ya today?"

"Hi...I wanted to know how much I could get for this and these DVDs. I want to sell them, not pawn them," Willow explained. She decided to throw in some DVDs for extra cash. She knew she could always replace them at a later date. The gas bill was more important right now. I'll be glad when my promotion kicks in, she thought.

"Well, I can give you $10 for the DVD player and $10 for the DVDs," the lady said.

Damn! "Ok, thanks. That'll be fine," Willow said.

"Can I get your ID ma'am?"

"Sure, here you go," Willow reached into her wallet and passed her driver's license over to the lady. She punched in all the necessary information, printed off a form, had Willow sign it, gave her a copy, and a $20 bill.

"Thank you ma'am for your business," the lady said.

"Thank you," Willow left the building noticing more cars pulling into the parking lot. All types of people - black, white, Latino, male, female, mothers, grandmothers, fathers, sons, daughters were all there to trade in something they once held in their hearts or possessions as precious or valuable for the purpose of survival. They had to eat, keep the lights on, gas in their cars, and dignity in their souls.

Willow decided awhile back that it was far better to go to a pawn shop from time to time to let something go for help to do something she had to instead stripping or taking a walk on the stroll. She didn't want a part-time job. She was too busy trying to make something happen with her creative endeavors. However, she was given a promotion at the end of 2008. The money increase wouldn't show up though until early spring 2009 she was told by her manager. So, she settled her psyche on just hanging in there and knowing that the Universe would always provide as long as she believed she had it.

In most people's worlds, seeing is believing. In Willow's world, believing is seeing.