All Good Things Must Pass

All Things Must Pass

by Book Magoo, Roving Reporter

Well that didn’t last. One didn’t have to be Nostradamus to see that the Free Shack was doomed the moment it got the heave-ho from Elkhaven and its curator hung up his uniform. Some were confused, others didn’t care, and there were those that openly wept and fretted over the future of the wee tin shed. Personally, I never had any interest in the thing. I was never naive enough to think that perhaps one day that box of mismatched mason jar lids and bottle caps I scored would reveal a twenty five thousand dollar limited edition Rolex Submariner that I could flash around the General Store like Jagmeet Singh at a union press conference, but that’s just me. I can imagine that some folks were able to snap up some pretty spiffy stuff…one person’s garbage is another person’s gold as they say. But based on recent events, one has to wonder if there was a massive blow-out sale on rose colored glasses somewhere. I recall a good many times when a frustrated Shane took to Facebook and proclaimed “That’s it, I’m done with this place for good!!” after some numpty decided to drop off a load of legless chairs along with paint cans from the middle ages and a leaky keg three quarters full of nuclear waste. I recall one instance where a couple of groups showed up at the same time and an argument ensued that in good old Denman fashion devolved into accusations of racism. But, the Free Shack was our version of the Klondike Gold Rush, with throngs of starry eyed dreamers heading down at dawn’s first light in hopes of finding that big nugget.

For all that is good and holy, let the Free Shack go. Just let it die with dignity and it would become legendary. Future generations could start a GoFundMe or apply for some frivolous government grant and conscript a sculptor to fashion a statue of Shane that could be erected at the gates of Elkhaven where all could gather and worship. It could be the Denman Island Mecca, (until some disgruntled group of self proclaimed anarchists deem it somehow oppressive and topple it in the name of progressive liberalism. Yay…..). To keep this going is inherently cruel and without purpose….. like some selfish family members that are keeping Mum alive on life support because it makes them feel better. Time to let go.

We are already blessed with a Free Store that is the envy of the world. Let that be enough.