The Journal

During a recent trip back to my small hometown in Idaho, I wandered into a weathered resale shop hoping to uncover a forgotten treasure. The jewelry in the cases was underwhelming: modern pieces, broken chains, and tarnished odds and ends. Before leaving, I asked the shopkeeper if he had any other gold jewelry tucked away. He admitted that he never kept his better pieces on display. Too many people came through his doors looking to exchange yesterday’s possessions for today’s problems, so the finer pieces remained hidden.