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Fill-in-the-Blank Mobile

Like most small towns, my small town has an empty parking lot associated with what used to be a grocery store, which is now a church because you can't have an empty building without filling it up with a church, can you? It's important to squeeze as many churches as physically possible into every square mile, even if each congregation has no more than 15 members, each of these members having decided that they can't possibly belong to one of the existing gazillion churches already within a 10-minute driving radius.

Well, I don't want to get too excited about that subject which has irked me for some time. Back to the main point--there is this empty parking lot--and at the back edge of it, next to the railroad tracks, there sits a Book Mobile that is for sale. I'm not sure where this book mobile came from since every town around here has a library of some sort, even if it's in the back of a pizza kitchen.

One of the last town's to hold out received one from Three Wishes--for all but the six people who actually watched that show, it was hosted by Amy Grant. She and a crew went from town to town granting wishes to deserving people, even if their only wish was to be part of a pro-football team and to have something like TVs gifted to every member of Small Town's high school football team who each probably already had three TVs per household--with the parents standing there thinking, "wait, aren't our kids already over indulged?"

Well, I don't want to get too excited about that subject either which has also irked me since the show came to town last fall. ANYWAY.....

I started thinking about how I could put this book mobile to use, since we already have a library. Here's what I have imagined as viable door-to-door services:

•A Basic Goods Mobile: selling things like baking soda, eggs, milk, bread, cat litter, and breath mints

•A Not-So-Basic Goods Mobile: selling things like radicchio, mascarpone, champagne vinegar, and prosciutto

•On-the-Spot Music Lesson Mobile: qualified teachers from universities about an hour away would arrive at your door in a sound-proof bus to provide lessons right in your driveway

•Handy-Man Mobile: a skilled workman/woman would arrive at your doorstep to replace broken door bells, strip wall paper, and change hard-to-reach light bulbs

•Friends-for-Coffee Mobile: friends would arrive midmorning with a fresh pot of joe and a plate of chocolate chip cookies and would stay just long enough for a coffee break, everyone needing to get back to work quickly

•Dessert-on-a-Whim Mobile: favorites like chocolate lasagna from Olive Garden or chocolate souffle from Commander's Palace in New Orleans would be delivered at the exact moment a husband or #2 daughter get the craving, even at 10:00 pm on a Monday

I wasn't in the market for a book mobile when I first saw the heap in the old parking lot, but now that I have a few entrepeneurial ideas, I think I may need to make a bid. What would you do with a fill-in-the-blank mobile?

Comments

Anonymous said…
Ahhh the old "book Mobile" takes me back to my elememtary school days. It would pull up in front of the Beethoven School in Boston every thursday morning. I looked forward to this event as it would get me out of the classroom for about 30 min. also I would get to borrow some really cool music books.

Now, what would I do with a fill in the blank mobile? One idea I was thinking of was a "psychotherapy mobile". "On the spot therapy for those times when you need someone to talk to and fast"

What do you think???

Rich's Psychotherapy mobile
8:37 AM
Anonymous said…
* Movie Mobile: Classic movies from the golden age of Hollywood which NEVER seem to make it on TCM (where it's all westerns, westerns, westerns). A 1940's musical? Got it. Deanna Durbin? Got it. Also, quality family movies from our childhood would be available.

* Mobile Mobile: Mobiles of all shapes, styles, and sizes would be delivered whenever a teacher, parent, or child wanted/needed a rainy day craft to encourage creativity instead of mindless media consumerism. Could also be expanded to carry art supplies, but I like that it would be called the Mobile Mobile.

and since I am on an alliteration kick...

* Medical Mobile: Drops off the needed medical supplies when needed. Nothing drastic or EMT-esque, but the right size bandaid, appropriate decongestant, etc. Because honestly, when you're sick and sniffly, do you really want to get dressed and then drag yourself to Drug Mart? I think not.

I could keep going, but I'll end it here so as not to take away the fun from anyone else.

~ adair
11:59 AM
Old Knudsen said…
I'd go with the therapy also, I'd give myself a title and paint it on the van, 'The Rapist' er sorry 'therapist', I'd go around America as everyone knows they really need it more than others and I'd shout obscenities and tell them what their problem was and to snap out of it, oh I'd have a camera crew of course, sort of like that English twat on American Idol.

Your word verification makes up letters, is it a 't' or a 'j' no its both,what a fine tool for harrassment, I want one.
12:21 AM
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