Gale Wessel
"Not Done Yet"
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| (Photos by Patrick Fraser) |
Hey you...
My name is Madeinchina. It says so on my label, but you can call me Made. I’m a MAN’s umbrella, and while I’ve been around for a lot of years, I’m still all man, strong and sexy. I know I’ve lost my figure and some of my top cover over time, but women’s umbrellas still look at me when I’m out. I know what they’re thinking: they would like to meet me, and you know, dance the rain dance.
I’m not young, but all in all, I’m in pretty good shape. A lot of my contemporaries blew inside out or lost their covers years ago, and now they’re in landfills or are lying along the side of the road, spokes sticking out all over the place. I still go out to bars, car races and football games. I’ve protected my owner from more than a little spilled beer over the years, and I still have a stiff and pointy end, which makes me pretty good at defense when we’re in a crowd. I’ve been my owner’s trusted companion for years, and we go everywhere together.
A few days ago, a new MAN’s umbrella appeared in my stand. He’s young and doesn’t have my character, beer stains, scars or experience. So I went right up to him, faced him down and asked him just what he thinks he’s doing in my stand. He said I was an old umbrella, past having value to my owner, and would soon be put in the trash. Said I needed to go and make room for the young guys. Can you imagine? I can’t believe that my owner would just throw me away because I’m old. I’m sure that I am still the ONE. At least, I hope so because what’s a MAN’s umbrella without a job.