A guy brought in a Polaroid SX-70 that his wife had carried on their first date

He came into my shop about five years ago, holding it like a baby bird. The leather was worn smooth, and the viewfinder was cloudy. He said, 'She passed last month, and I found this in her closet. It still has the picture from that night in the viewfinder, but it's all faded.' I got it open, and sure enough, the old film pack was fused to the rollers. Cleaning it out took me two hours with isopropyl and a set of dental picks I keep for gunk like that. When I got it working and that little motor whirred, he just sat there quiet for a minute. He didn't care about the cost, just that it could make a sound again. Makes you think about all the stories sitting broken in drawers. What's the oldest personal item someone's brought you to fix?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_kevin1mo ago

All the stories sitting broken in drawers" is such a good way to put it. I read a story once about a guy who fixed an old music box that played his grandma's favorite song.

violatorres1mo ago

That music box story gets me. It's like those broken things hold more than just dust. My aunt had a clock that stopped the day my uncle died. She never fixed it, just kept it on the mantel. Sometimes the broken part is the whole point, you know?

adam_lewis27d ago

@violatorres That clock story hit me right in the feels. My whole life is just broken stuff I refuse to let go of, including my old phone that barely holds a charge. Guess I'm a walking junk drawer myself lol.