A Measure of Steel

I stepped down from the wooden bench to investigate the upper shelf of the open rack. Resting flat beside an unbuckled leather strap was a small metal tailor’s tape measure, its tip left poking out in an uneven tab. The contrast between the flexible steel ribbon and the warm wood grain caught my focus. I braced both palms against the small chrome slider and eased it forward, pulling out three clean inches of marked steel. Letting the curved metal band rest flush against the corner post created a crisp, deliberate horizon line across the shelf.