Ok, Funny Story
September 22, 2004

I was at my mailbox, checking through the mail, when I spied a letter written in pencil, addressed to me. I slipped my finger under the back flap and gently unfolded the contents.

The letter was odd from the get go. Written on the backside of a piece of notebook paper, the writer informed me that they had four of my college paintings and if I was interested in getting them back, I needed to write them at the following address before a certain date as a move was in progress and they needed to know what to do with the paintings. The name attached didn't sound familiar at all, and I wondered how they had come into contact with my paintings? The end noted I had four or five days from the time of the receipt of letter to correspond...

Well, I was excited. I hadn't seen the paintings in 20 some odd years. Some of them are the ones posted on my website...

At the time I thought it was strange how they didn't have a phone number, but I wrote back, right away.

Within a week, I received a certified envelope (again, in pencil!) that I had to sign for...inside, another mysterious letter. This time I was informed if I wanted to see the paintings, I needed to send $4500. The letter writer had decided that since they had stored the paintings for all those years, they were going to charge me a certain amount per month per painting and it totalled the $4500.

I couldn't believe it! I must have stood there in the post office, re-reading and re-reading the letter. I took it home to show Lance, and we both got a good laugh out of it. I have the letter somewhere in my file of bizarre letters.

And, no, I didn't buy the paintings back. I didn't even respond to such blackmail. I would suppose the paintings are in a dumpster by now.

There you have it.

posted by Sara Hickman at 08:06 am
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