In 2003, I had just received my undergrad degree in Psychology from Cal State Northridge and had been accepted into a graduate program as a university intern for a Teaching Certificate. I had closed my graphic design firm and was now jobless. I needed to find some income. Fortunately, because the graphic design company was a corporation, of which I was an employee, I was entitled to unemployment income although a mere pittance to what my salary had been.

One Sunday, my husband and I were going to the local dollar store to shop. We were extremely low on funds and this was the only place we could afford. On the way there, we passed an antique shop that had wonderful old furniture scattered about on the sidewalk in front. I said, “You know, I always wanted to go in there, but we have no money.” My husband said, “Well, it doesn’t cost anything to look.” And so we stopped in.

As soon as we entered the store, the proprietor looked familiar. I recognized her as the person I had bought two chairs from for my office a few years earlier. Her name was Sally. I looked around while my husband sat down and had a long conversation about music and players they knew. Turns out she had once been married to a local musician.

My eyes roamed about the shop until something caught my eye. It was a Tiffany style emerald green lamp off in the corner. I got my husband’s attention and said, “You know how you have always loved Tiffany lamps but I didn’t?” He says, “Yeah” and I say, “Well I love this one.” pointing to the green lamp.

I asked Sally how much it cost and she said $500 and that it had just came back to the shop. It had been used as a prop in Jack Nicholson’s apartment in “As Good As It Gets”. Now, I wanted it even more but, alas, 500 bucks and me with no job or money! I was resigned to the fact that it was not to be. Not yet.

That Saturday night I fell asleep early and woke up at 3am wide awake. I turned on the television and guess what movie was on? Yes, “As Good As It Gets”. I was staring in amazement at the exact scene from the movie showing the lamp! I took it as a sign that it had to be mine. All I had to do was figure out how to get it. Sally had mentioned that she needed a part time worker and I thought, hmmmm, maybe I could work for her in exchange for the lamp.

Sunday morning, I began looking through the mail that I had dumped on the dining room table the day before. To my surprise, there was my first unemployment check for $470.73. Without a second thought, I knew I would spend it on the lamp. However, it was a Sunday with the next day being a holiday. That meant the store was closed for two days. I was quite anxious that someone else would get the lamp before me and couldn’t wait for Tuesday at 11:00 am when they would open.

Tuesday arrived and I went to Sally’s shop. I said, “I have no job and no money and have no business buying this lamp but it just feels like I must have it!. Sally said, “It will bring you good luck.” I said, “But you don’t understand, I am looking for a teaching position and have sent out letters and resumes to 80 different schools to no avail.” She said, “Come over here and hold my hand.” I did so and she looked me in the eye and said, “You will get a call tomorrow morning to go to a nearby school for an interview. You will get the job.” I didn’t know what to think and was skeptical about what she had said.

Wednesday morning I received a call from the Principal of Benjamin Franklin High School in Highland Park, only 10 minutes from my home in Burbank. I went to the interview. It lasted less than five minutes, and I left thinking, “No way, I got this job.” I arrive back home and the light is blinking on my answering machine. I play the message and it is the principal again saying that I got the job! Sally’s message had come true, plus Ben Franklin is one of my favorite people — an artist, a writer, an inventor and a scientist. Plus, Highland Park is also the name of an affluent neighborhood in my home state of Texas. Two more signs.

Gazing into the emerald green glow of my lamp, I call Sally. I told her what had happened and she said, “I told you!”

And that’s how I became the owner of a beautiful emerald green, magic lamp.

Or maybe it owns me.