I have some nostalgia for the Corning “Butterfly Gold” pattern because that’s what we ate off when I was growing up. So just for happy memory’s sake, and because it always catches my eye, I have been slowly collecting very inexpensive pieces of it one dish at a time in order to sell as a “lot” on eBay. I have curly handled teacups, a darling bowl, a few useful small plates, and one lonely dinner plate —so I was pleased to find a dinner plate mixed up with other random stuff at a thrift store last week. But when I got to the register to pay for it (a dollar) I felt a chip on the edge. “I’m going to pass on this,” I explained with regret, “it has a chip.” While I paid for the teacups the guy at the register tossed the poor plate up and down in the air. “These things are unbreakable,” he reassured me.

The next morning I got a text from Target telling me that my prescription was ready. I hadn’t expected to go back to town again so soon but I knew it would be just wrong if I went to Target without also running into the thrift store again even though I had just shopped there the day before. It would just be wrong, I tell ya. So in I ran and right away I found a whole bunch of nice shiny new fiesta teacups and saucers. And then!! Yes! One of those “Butterfly Gold” Corelle plates!

As soon as I got home I set to work washing things up and listing them. I was humming and getting into the flow of washing and scrubbing stickers off everything and it was just so fun and satisfying. Maybe I was even smiling to myself. But when I went to wash the Corelle plate I realized…..

….it was that same stupid plate from the day before! The same chip the same exact plate! I actually bought it that time! Like, I told them it had a chip and they put it right back on the shelves! And I saw it (me!! of all people!) and put it in my cart — two days in a row!! and actually completely bought it with a clear happy conscience (on the second day)!

I screamed into the house. (No one was home) “I can’t believe I did that!!” I cried. I could not believe it.

And then I threw it away. I felt kind of bad to do so, it really seemed to want to belong to me, but what else could I do? I can’t just keep chipped plates. Later on I told my mom the story and we laughed and she said, “You know, they always said those plates were unbreakable but when you drop one on the floor it smashes into a thousand pieces. Shards!”