Cigarette Ashtray

Cigarette ashtrays in restaurants are a thing of the past. If the world survives the Corona Virus epidemic and restaurants become a thing again, you'll never see an ashtray in one of them. It's been many, many years since smoking has been outlawed in restaurants, and all public places, so you'll never see a waiter or waitress cappin' ashtrays.

A shame? No, not really. Not at all, actually. It was disgusting. As a waiter since the mid-eighties, I would know. Capping ashtrays was the preferred method of changing a full, or semi-full, ashtray with a clean unencumbered ashtray. The waiter would swing by the table with a clean ashtray palmed in the hand, magically sweep in without notice and place the prized, pristine ashtray on top of the used ashtray. Then, still without notice, sweep both away. Removing the cancer hazard from the linened table and valued (money spendin') guests. Then, usually with notice, placing the pristine ashtray on the table where once a health hazard resided. A courteous nod or thank you usually always followed the sacrifice of the virgin ashtray. This part of the magic trick was noticed, because it was a trigger. A clean, pristine, newly baptized in the restaurant quality dishwasher, lookin' like a brand new glass trophy display case for someone's peace of mind. Someone's ciggy. Aah. That was noticed. And appreciated. I know, not that I ever smoked cigarettes before but I had smoked joints before. Not in restaurants, mind you. Well...there was this one time~that's a story for another post. A clean ashtray and a properly rolled jernt are meant to be. A perfect pair. Suave and sophisticated.

I palmed one of them pristine ashtrays a long time ago and figuratively never let go. It's been well over twenty years since I stole it. I still have it. Back then I was smoking a lot of jernts. And taking a lot of pictures. I was prolly a little bit high when I found that ashtray. I knew it was special. I peered through all night long. It distorted what I viewed into a dreamlike vision. I loved that. I tried it in front of my camera lens and really loved the effect.

It's kind of weird that I gradually stopped taking pictures after I gave up smoking pot and drinking. They were tied together. Creatively, somehow.

Quite a few years ago I tossed all my cameras into the trash. They were outdated 35mm cameras. Not much use these days. And I just wasn't motivated to take pictures anyway. Now I am surprisingly motivated to take pictures again.

I found that friggin' ashtray by accident. Didn't even know I still had it. Forgot all about it, actually. I'll be damned if it isn't a perfect match for my new camera.

I took them both out yesterday.

Dreamlike. In many ways.

I wonder if my new perfect match is soon to be found. Accidently.