Have you ever moved into a place and found objects left by the previous occupants? 

Here are several I found in the Kerouac House:


The snow globe would have been nice, except the water was discolored and I couldn't successfully replace it.  Instead of a magical urban wonderland, it conveyed an impression of pollution. 

The hair sticks are pretty and I would have used them, but my hair has been far too short during my time here.  I'll leave them for the next resident where I found them, in the pencil holder over the desk. 

In case you think it's okay to use a stranger's toenail clippers, I will now do you the favor of informing you it is not.  Better yet, I'll put my gloves back on and dispose of them as a safety measure.

Beneficial objects in the house far outnumber the likes of the toenail clippers, of course.  This is all at the front of my mind as I'm packing today.  I promise I will try to leave behind only good things, like chocolate biscotti and blank CDs.  If the next resident finds a hair in the drain or an inauspicious fortune cookie at the bottom of the kitchen drawer, I'll hope it wasn't mine. 

PS - The reading was so fun--my thanks to the kind and lively crowd that came.