RECEPTACLES 

Dear Dr. Hope:

I came to this world as a pencil holder and was perfectly happy with that. True, sometimes pencils had broken points and pens were missing their caps, but the consistency of my contents was very reassuring.

One day, though, they emptied me of all those writing instruments, filled me with cold water, and stuck a thorny rose inside me. The scratches still hurt.

Not too long after that, I was put up for sale at a thrift store for nearly nothing. Someone took me home and poured scalding hot coffee inside me. What’s next?

Dr. Hope, I don’t know anymore what I am, and what other tortures destiny holds for me.
I hope you can help me.

Ms. Disillusioned.

Dear Ms. Disillusioned:

Your identity crisis is very common for objects with similar shapes. We recently had a letter from a receptacle that started as a fruit bowl, became a foot soaking bucket, and ended up as a chamber pot. Degrading, for sure, but not the end of the world.

The important thing is to be regarded as useful, always. The option is the landfill, and unless you are used to a promiscuous lifestyle, I don’t think you would enjoy that.

Glad to be of help,

Dr. Hope