Shopping Cart Series: Redemption Songs


by on Sep 3rd, 2009

shopping-cart-empty-cans-ave-y-e-19-st

When my owner first got me from Home Depot, she came to me with talk about redemption.

She was singing my favorite song, the classic Reggae song by Bob Marley, — with a few changed words, of course. Instead of “the merchant ships”, she said I was sold into slavery to the merchant “shops”.  She spoke to my soul and my mind, promising to free me from the retailers.

She hummed that haunting tune each day for 6 days straight. Then on the seventh day, she came with her friend to pull off the plan of redeeming me.

That day, my wheels were “made strong by the ‘and of the Almighty” and I rolled, with her help, “forward in this generation” — out of Marine Park and onto what I thought was freedom.

By next morning, I found myself on the streets of Sheepshead Bay with plastic bags being filled slowly, but surely, with discarded cans and bottles.

That’s when I realized that the real pirates were that woman and her first mate. The redemption song that she was speaking of was not one of emancipation for me, but for redemption of bottles and cans for the 5 cents deposit!

Finally, I could understand the line of the song: ‘Cause none of them can stop the time…

Now, is there any one who  can stop time and stop the cans? Will my life be all about vessels emptied of carbonation or will this song end triumphantly?

What I wouldn’t do, to stop time and not have to carry these cans. But, it’s all I ever have…these redemption songs.

Lyrics courtesy of elyrics.net.

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  • http://www.flickr.com/photos/lisanne001 Lisanne!

    This one was trying to make a get away. The bottle collector was separating the Hawaiian Punches from the Pepsis and the opportunity was there to run. Sadly it’s hard to get very far when one is weighed down so much.

  • http://www.flickr.com/photos/lisanne001/ Lisanne!

    This one was trying to make a get away. The bottle collector was separating the Hawaiian Punches from the Pepsis and the opportunity was there to run. Sadly it’s hard to get very far when one is weighed down so much.

  • bagels

    I think it’s time to call in PETS – People for the Ethical Treatment of Shopping-carts

  • bagels

    I think it’s time to call in PETS – People for the Ethical Treatment of Shopping-carts

  • http://www.antsrants.webs.com/ Anthony

    Man, that is quite the load bearing down on that poor shopping cart. I propose that new shopping carts be built with a spring-based suspension system to better support heavy loads. That way long term damage to the cart’s frame will less likely be incurred. For that matter, a weight limit tag should be riveted to the cart to urge users and abusers to take it easy on the poor wagon!

  • http://www.antsrants.webs.com Anthony

    Man, that is quite the load bearing down on that poor shopping cart. I propose that new shopping carts be built with a spring-based suspension system to better support heavy loads. That way long term damage to the cart’s frame will less likely be incurred. For that matter, a weight limit tag should be riveted to the cart to urge users and abusers to take it easy on the poor wagon!