Teen is No Keeper
Every day, the contents of many storage units get forfeited by the renter who is unable to make payments that are due. By law, the top bidder at an auction may take possession. Enter sixteen-year-old Shane Jones of Rhode Island. In a story told by Cathy Free of the Washington Post (July, ’21), Shane reveals himself as a frequent visitor to yard sales, where he is often in search of rare coins and other items with hidden value.
“It seemed like a fun thing to do,” he said, having saved from a job working in a used bookstore. His first bid of $100 was a winner, but he soon found out the contents were far more personal than typical yard sale items—things such as teddy bears and what even might be considered family heirlooms. He just couldn’t keep them. His parents helped him track down the owners. The first was a man in prison whose mother was in a retirement home. She was thrilled to accept their delivery of family keepsakes.
The whole experience was so uplifting that Shane made two subsequent bids of $50 each for more lockers. With the first, the owners were deceased, but he came across an address book that revealed a family member, most thankful to receive family mementos.
With his third foray, Shane had to go to a neighboring state. There in a locker he found a trove of baby items and pictures. He tracked down the mother who was unemployed and unable to afford the locker rent.
Her baby had died a few years earlier, and these were the only things remaining from that life-shattering event. The very sight of them brought her to tears.
Thank you, Shane, for focusing your attention on others, for Living Love Large.