My Writing Table

When I first graduated from college, I wanted a huge desk. More like a table, really; I didn’t need drawers or anything like that, just a long, but narrow, workspace. I priced them, even at IKEA, and walked away shaking my head. Way too rich for my blood.

As a poor recent grad in need of most things in life, I kept a close watch on the free listings on Craigslist. One day, a solid wood door was listed. I loaded it into my tiny Chevy Cavalier and hauled it home.

Using a stack of old encyclopedias I got for free from a used bookstore, I decoupaged the door with the best illustrations and charts.

At Home Depot cut me two 4x4 boards to the perfect height. I spray painted them, then used corner brackets to attach them as legs.

I had a huge, beautiful desk for less than $50.

Right now it’s my writing table, and one of my favorite things about it is all the random information at my fingertips. Any time I need a new name, I scour the table until something sounds good. Cabot and George are just two current Echo Chamber Heist characters that were named from perusing my table.

Anytime I’m stuck, I take a look at my elbows for references to ancient mummies or information about elephant seals. Most of all, it’s just fun. I could afford to replace this ad hoc table with something nicer, but I love it just the way it is.