Lowe's clearance shade |
Once upon a time one could buy basic
lampshades without hocking one's children. I consider $29.95 for a plain medium
sized drum shade -- no fancy shapes, no pleating, ruching, piping or ruffles -- extortionate for what I
want, essentially a piece of heavy paper on a wire ring.
Lowe's has a shade for under $10. It fits a lamp
with a harp, and I was willing to try it until I saw that it is lined with
red. I'm sorry, I do not want a red cast on everything. It has a
similar sized cousin in a nauseating mustard yellow. No sale.
Target has a whole lot of chandelier
shades, and a whole lot of large shades. Nothing medium sized, except for small
lamps with medium sized shades at $15.97. I briefly considered plastic cubes
meant as locker storage. I toyed with the idea of using ice cream containers,
or even plastic planters.
Reluctantly I perused the
WalMart website. While there are oodles of choices in the $15-$40 range, there
are a few plain shades under $10 in small and large sizes. Hobby Lobby, too,
has shades that will do.
Hobby Lobby self adhesive shade |
What do you do when what you need is
only offered by stores you'd rather avoid? I weigh the amount of my revulsion. WalMart is a store that is good for no one but the Walton heirs. I object to subsidizing
a family that is wealthy enough to buy a third world country. Hobby Lobby sanctimoniously closes on Sundays
so its workers can spend the day with their families, but wants to opt out of
health care programs because they can't control how the money they pay in will
be used. Specifically, Hobby Lobby wants
assurances that no money it pays into a health care system will ever be used
for abortion, even when abortion is needed to save the woman's life. This
sort of moral superiority may be even
more revolting than soulless money grubbing.
I suppose I could order metal rings
from a lamp supply house and make my own shades. Martha Stewart would. But
there's no way she'd stop at 4.
Will I stand on principle or cave to
expedience?