FlamingText

The Vacuum Shop

  The bus I take to and from work goes right by this little vacuum cleaner repair shop that's run out of a converted residence, a little whitewashed shack with red and blue trim. On the corner that faces the intersection there's a matching four-foot high red white and blue cinderblock wall and sitting on top of that wall are all these brightly colored vacuum cleaners that have been done up to look like happy, smiling vacuum cleaner robots. Out front there's a big old-school neon sign with a blinking arrow pointing down the road towards the Hacienda Motel, which is three blocks away. I've seen the Hacienda Motel and it pretty much looks exactly like what you'd expect with that name. I've never checked whether or not they rent rooms by the hour but they do advertise monthly rates so I guess people live there.

  Anyway, aside from the incongruous Hacienda sign, the vacuum shop has this marquee with a different message on either side. They change regularly. It always has some sort of biblical quote on it, followed by the phrase "free bibles." So I guess if you bring your vacuum in to get it serviced they throw in a bible at no extra charge.

The quotes look like this:
THEY WHO FEAR GOD WILL BE GLAD FREE BIBLES INSIDE

or

PSALM 119 THE WORD OF GOD IS TASTE AND SEE! FREE BIBLES INSIDE

or

PSALM 119 GODS WORD OR MONEY CHOOSE WISELY FREE BIBLES INSIDE.

Yesterday it was

BLESSED ARE THE UNDEFILED FREE BIBLES INSIDE.

Which I had to admit was pretty good. I mean, it's not exactly Burma Shave, but I enjoyed it nevertheless. I make it a habit to check the marquee every day, on my way in to work in the morning and when I go home at night, to see what's on there. Nature may abhor a vacuum, but the Lord loves 'em.

Posted by flamingbanjo at October 26, 2005 01:41 PM