I really like it here

I’m really happy here.

I�m really happy here. I mean, who wouldn�t be? No stress, just lay
out on luxury leather every day. This is so much better than where I
used to be. Man, they were slave drivers over at that other store.
Demanding? You don�t know the meaning of the word.

The other store was a very nice enough store and they had nice folks
working there. I mean after all, what is it to be a fashion ring?
You just sit in a showcase all day long, at attention. Easy job at
first, boy was I ever fooled. But then it started.

First they demanded that the sales people start taking us out of the
showcases and putting us into these strangers� hands. These people
had GERMS! One lady actually sneezed into her hand as I was being
slid onto her finger. Gross!

All day long: in, out, in out. They were selfish. They just wanted
to get rid of me! In fact they wanted to get rid of ALL OF US. We�re
just jewelry for crying out loud! Let us be. Let us just sit here in
this glass cage and have a good life. I don�t care if people started
at us, this is our place-forever!

The other store made us take periodic baths. They polished up and
retagged our worn tags. That hurts. Have you every had a buff hit
your head at 36,000 rpms? Brutal!

Did you ever see the movie �Logan�s Way�? You know, the futuristic
movie when you reach 30 they vaporize you as they don�t have enough
room for everybody. This place is worse.

If you haven�t been adopted by a man or woman by your first birthday
THEY GET RID OF YOU! At one you�re still only a baby, but these
people expect us to earn our keep. �Put out or get out!� is all I
ever heard. If you didn�t produce income equal to your cost by your
first birthday they got rid of you.

I was lucky but some of my friends weren�t as lucky. There was a
ring next to me in case seven. She had a beautiful ruby center stone
and two (really nicely shaped) matched pair of diamonds for side
stones. They stood straight out! She was in case 7 for 13 months.
Then they said she was worth less and reduced her value. Who are
they to tell us what we are worth anyway? Lots of people held her
up, looked at her under a scope, but no one wanted her.

It was a sad day. I saw them tear off her RUBY HEAD! Oh No! Then
they took out both matched diamonds, reduced her to skin and ring.
Oh no! The torch, no, not that! Melted her. I�ll miss old
"100-52456". There�ll never be another sku number like her again.

After “100-52456” left they brought in a company who ran big sale
signs. Just like the Civil War I heard about, they wanted to enslave
us or sell us to the highest bidder. In just 5 days they got rid of
$125,000.00 of us! We are good rings but they don�t care.

No one bought me so the big sale company bought the rest of us up
for a song. Took us back to some big factory, ripped off our tags
and there again was that big buff!

I was sold at auction. 400 rings similar to me at 60 cents on the
dollar. I was so happy when this chubby jeweler bought us. He�s so
kind to us and I know I�ll have a happy life here.

Why wouldn�t I? The leather in the showcases is sort of worn. That
makes them more comfortable, like a comfortable couch or lounge
chair. And we don�t have to stand straight up all day. Many of the
staff members let us lay on our sides in the case. Super cool! I
know I�ll make lots of life long friends here. Shoot; Harry, this
really cool Smokey quartz ring that sits 3 rings down from me in
case 8. He�s been here EIGHT YEARS! This jeweler fellow really knows
how to treat the most valuable thing in his store. He keeps us!
Yeah! Just like summer camp. Don�t have to take a bath, don�t change
our tags at all, and just wear them all the time. I�m even beginning
to get some tarnish around my solder joints. I�m a man!

This jeweler really knows what he�s talking about. He says somebody
will adopt us one day. I hope it�s like Nancy the Necklace. And that
day never comes. Nancy is celebrating her silver anniversary with
this company this week. She told me not to worry about his 70% off
sale. She says customers are wise to it. I�m glad.

So yep, I got it made. But I sure do feel sorry for the rest of the
group back at the other jewelry store. There are some bracelets I
knew there that were coming up to being 14 months old and you know
what that means don�t you?

Put out or get out!

I really like it here. See you next year.

The Ring