It All Began With a Plate

Over twenty years ago, when I was in college, I had this boyfriend  I was madly in love with. We were young, living together, and always looking for ways to make each other laugh.

One day, while he was out of the apartment, I decided I wanted to surprise him at dinner. I had this idea to take pictures and phrases from dirty magazines and hide them underneath his plate. As he ate his dinner, more and more of what was underneath would slowly be revealed.

The idea seemed simple enough, but figuring out how to actually make it work took some trial and error. Eventually, I discovered that a clear glass plate and clear adhesive were the perfect combination.

So, I got to cutting.

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As he ate dinner, little pieces of the plate started revealing themselves. The more food disappeared, the more he saw, and the bigger his smile became.

Before long, I started making more of them. Not long after showing our friends, they invited our plates to the parties. Everyone loved them and laughed their ass off with each new phrase they discovered.

After one of those parties, a very well-meaning friend decided to help clean up. She loaded almost all of the Dirty Dishes into the dishwasher, having no idea she was washing away hours of cutting, arranging, gluing, and handiwork. By the time I realized what had happened, it was too late. Almost every plate was ruined.

Except one.

For whatever reason, one Dirty Dish never made it into the dishwasher. I kept that plate, and as the years passed, it followed me from one home to the next.

The plate stayed with me, and so did the idea. I always thought I might bring Dirty Dishes back someday.

I just didn't know when.