The people's revolution begins with the umbrella

It started to rain unexpectedly today, so I took one of the umbrellas left abandoned in the umbrella stand at work. It's a beauty, too--nice sturdy construction, with gold trim, and waterproof fabric that gives off a most delightful sheen--pink or gray or purple depending on how the light hits it.

Marie Claire makes good umbrellas.

(I say "I took the umbrella" and not "I stole", because surely the concept of theft presupposes a background of generally successful ownership--keeping in mind that ownership entails more than the ability to use an object that happens to exist in your hands at the moment. In Japan you could no more steal an unguarded umbrella than you could steal someone's air without forcefully pumping it from that person's lungs. The umbrellas here seem to belong to some sort of nation-wide commons--at some point in time, every umbrella in circulation was of course purchased by some charitable soul at some form of commercial outlet, but that monetary transaction marks the removal of the item from the realm of capitalist principles. Thereafter the umbrella passes from hand to hand, as needed or as not, circulating via the umbrella stands at convenience stores and beef/pork-bowl establishments, until it is lost to rust or ruinous typhoon winds.)