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Nothing arouses all four senses more than this lamp, this luminaire, a priceless $8 pinnacle of light where there would otherwise be darkness. It alone provides 2/10 of the light in my bedroom, the other 8/10 being from other lamps of course. To some, it may look like every other lamp from the same 5-lamp set series from Sears. Though it is the same generic lamp as the rest of its kin from Sears, it is wholly unique, except for all of the other lamps from Sears that look just like it.

Some say with such cynicism, "Hey, a lamp is simply an electrical device used to create artificial light or illumination. A complete lighting fixture unit consists of the light source or lamp, the reflector for directing the light, an aperture (with or without a lens), the outer shell or housing for lamp alignment and protection, an electrical ballast, if required, and connection to a power source. A wide variety of special light fixtures are created for use in the automotive industry, aerospace, marine and medicine." This much is true, but to me, it is a valued piece which shall become the heirloom of my offspring someday. It is not a commodity, but a treasure!

Craftful. The dark rubber surrounding the internal logic of wire and coil that bring the lamp the appropriate energy to sustain itself.

Apparatus Criticus

It sits on my desk where it has for some time, positioned between a computer speaker and the Pepsi stain I’m too lazy to clean up. From the bottom, there is a large brown stain from the display that the lamp was originally on at Sears. The stain smells like rotted wood and feral dog, the kind that makes you want to get rabies shots just to be sure. I put an old used cloth underneath it so the stain doesn’t touch my desk. The bottom has a printed “Made in Czechoslovakia” label, which is sealed too tightly to peel off. I know; I’ve tried.

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