My Two Chairs

by Marko Peric

I have two chairs. You're probably thinking "So what? I have several." Good for you. I have had the same chair for more than a decade now. It's my rolling computer chair. But let me go to the start of the story. And when I say start, I mean somewhere near the end.

I got a new chair today. Brand-spanking new. I even had to put it together with a Phillips head screwdriver and all that. Why did I get a new chair, you ask? It was a birthday present. Before you go wishing me a happy birthday, though, I need to explain further. My birthday is in November.

Okay, so now I've got you all confused. Why is Marko getting birthday gifts three full months early? There's a good reason for that. In fact there are several. The chair is from my mother (thanks Mom) who is moving soon, and doesn't want to buy a chair and then have to move it with all her other stuff and store it until my birthday. What's more, there was a chair on sale this week that she thought I'd really like, and as it turns out, I did like it, enough to say yes, I'd like one for my birthday. So I have it now.

So why did I get a new chair for my birthday? Well, if you've ever seen my old one, you'd know. It's old. Don't get me wrong, I love that old chair. It's been very good to me. I've spent countless hours sitting on it. Every article on this site was written from my old chair.

I'm pretty sure I got the old chair in 1990. It came from Richie's Army and Navy, and it set me back all of five dollars. It's high-backed with an artificial leather back and padded arms, and a padded fabric seat. It wasn't exactly in mint condition when I got it, which is why it was only five dollars. It was probably a good decade old at that point, and the arms were peeling, and the foam on the seat was exposed. It was a ratty chair, but it has served me very well. A few times I've looked at replacing it with something newer and more intact, and nothing I've seen had caught my eye, at least nothing in my price range.

My new chair is really nice. It's all leather, and although the arms aren't padded, but they seem workable. It was a really good deal, too, although technically I'm not supposed to know the price of my own birthday gift. I put it together, but it's still downstairs because I didn't feel like hauling it upstairs tonight.

So now I sit on the old chair to write for this site for quite possibly the last time. It's going to the basement now, because as old and ratty as it might be, it's still a comfortable chair and it beats a folding camping chair or a drum stool. I couldn't bear to throw it out anyway. If I had the space in my room to spare I'd keep it up here, but alas, the space is precious, and I still have a bookcase to make room for.

So, I'm sorry, old chair, but the time has come. I'll miss you. You held me off the floor for countless games of Quake III. Sure, you clanked and clunked from time to time, but you really weren't all that noisy. And you did a superb job of holding pants and sweaters that I was too lazy to fold and put away.

Don't worry, I'll come down and visit from time to time. The basement is only two floors away. I'll be seeing you.