20210616 Lamp
Outside, next to the front door there is a lamp. The idea must have been that during the night you can see who’s standing outside in front of the door. Or, if you come home late that you can still see the lock and know where to put the key. The lamp that was out there when we bought the house was so ugly that we immediately replaced it with a more modern one. It is a simple rectangular box with metal on top and on the side, a simple lamp inside and a plastic transparent cover plate on the bottom. These outdoor lamps are not items that one dreams of purchasing. There might be people that get excited by the idea of buying a new one, but to me it was simply a matter of replacing an ugly lamp with one that is less ugly and did not cost too much. Perhaps I should have spent more, because the new lamp started to rust after a year and the system to fix it on the wall was rather cheap. My guess is that kids in the neighbourhood must have shot their football against it, but after two years the lamp started to tilt to the right and ever since I have tried to get it straight again. Whenever I get home and get my keys out of my pocket, I give the lamp a nudge. I also tried to fix the problem, but the hole in the wall behind the lamp has also started to erode and the screws and plugs are loose. I should probably buy some stuff to fill the hole again and install new plugs, but I was not very successful with the handrail on the stairs and this is simply not an activity that I enjoy spending time on. So, the tilt is getting worse and I keep setting it straight and then, when I enter the house, I have already forgotten about the lamp. Would I be happier if I replaced it with a better lamp. Probably not. I could get rid of the lamp altogether, but then I would still have to fill the whole and you would probably always see that there had been a lamp there. The wall next tot he door would not necessarily become more aesthetic to look at. So I leave the crooked lamp where it is and hope it will not fall apart anytime soon.