Update on the Transformative Journey of a Middle-Aged Desk.
My former work desk---let’s call him “Woodley”--- has found new purpose and appreciation in Fort Collins, serving as the “foundation” for a wonderful eBay business.
I recently wrote of the saga to find a new home for my former executive desk, “Woodley” as I returned to an office based in Boulder, Colorado. When I was told in authoritative terms that Woodley would likely end up in a landfill, I determined to find him a new home, well above the rubble. While Woodley had put in 1.5 decades of service to me, in “desk years” he was but a youngster. Woodley deserved a new venue where his many fine attributes would be appreciated. Alas, his significant dimensions could not find a comfortable home in my new office.
Woodley is handsome. His patina has been softened over 1.5 decades of exposure to cookie crumbs. His L-shape highlights his strong, angular features. He has a strong capacity for work and the humanities: the poetry of Seamus Heaney co-existed on his shelves alongside the Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure. At times, a dog bed and its snoring occupant found shelter in the floor space beneath the keyboard tray. Woodley’s brawny good looks can be disheveled and obscured by paperwork, but remain evident.
At the last minute, a wonderful new owner emerged. Wanda Roche is a Fort Collins-based eBay entrepreneur. She facilitates the commercial exchange of sports equipment and memorabilia at her eBay site, found at Sports and Outdoor Gear and operating under the name of “sockittome.” Woodley made his way to her busy office. He is no longer just a desk, but is the “hub” of an internet enterprise. He has found new purpose with Ms. Roche.
Woodley's journey is a metaphor for so many things. Ms. Roche, for example, admired Woodley because his proportions accommodated her wheelchair and the other accoutrement of her enterprise. Unbeknownst to me at the beginning, Wanda Roche sustained catastrophic injuries. She was an avid cyclist, you see, and a vehicle crashed into her, leaving her paralyzed. Nonetheless, she continued with her new eBay business. With Woodley as her companion, she will be all the more productive.
As an attorney, I have represented cyclists with catastrophic injuries. One client was a sensitive father and husband who supported the Coors Classic from the beginning and also developed major emergency systems. Another former client is an incredible young man who was cycling cross country for Habitat for Humanity; on the endless, hot and mind-numbing country roads of Kansas, he was struck by a teenager driving a pickup. It seems only right that my former law desk is assisting an injured cyclist.
May we all continue to find purpose in our work and lives, taking inspiration from Woodley and his new boss, Ms. Wanda Roche. Ms. Roche's many friends and colleagues help defray her mountain of medical bills by holding an annual bike event, Wanda's Ride. This year it will take place on August 12th. For more information, please seehttps://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/wanda-s-ride/70162