“Shit Happens” and Somebody Somewhere Experiences their Last Straw!

Third Place Win in Juried Competition for "Swamp Angel" oil on canvas

There are shows, and then there are shows. On the plus side, I had an opportunity to display my Popeye collection which is rare. The bazaar was seeking artwork, antiques, collectibles, and high-end used clothing and household items. The rules stated, “definitely not garage sale items.”

Second Place win in Acrylics for "Kindred Spirits"

Of course, whenever you make a rule, there are at least five people who will bend it or break it. It’s hard to place artwork next to a table that has used items for sale under $5. 

By the end of the show, a few vendors decided they’d rather give their stuff away than take it home. That made the situation even worse!

The artists who did participate will likely not come back. One jewelry maker remarked that she usually sells $600 to $1000 at one of these shows. She sold only $100.

There were more than 45 tables. Our hopes were high. But competition always makes or breaks a show. There were three other shows going on simultaneously in the area. These were also rummage sales that attracted a different clientele where people expect to pay a little and get a lot.

My own story was even sadder. I had a mixture of Popeye memorabilia and low-cost art. I thought, at the very least, I’d be advertising my portrait skills. I sold a few Popeye pieces and drew an interested fun loving crowd to my artwork.

 A gentleman took my card and said he’d be interested in talking to me about buying the whole Popeye collection. From experience, I know that usually means a bargain for him and a loss for me.

Could our show have been more successful in November by tapping into Christmas and holiday buying? Perhaps. Did the word bazaar throw people off? Were they expecting more bargains similar to a rummage or garage sale?

With many people out of work and low on cash, the timing may have been off. In a good year things could have been different. It’s hard to believe that in America, one of the most prosperous countries in the world, we are in decline; not only financially, but morally and spiritually.

To make matters worse, my husband ran errands while I was preoccupied and someone backed into his car. It was more than a ding. The at-fault-driver was in a truck which suffered little or no damage. Our car was dented in the fender and the door. My husband was 2/3 out of his parking spot, and she backed right into him. Did she have blinders on her eyes?

She claimed she was worried about the other driver she saw who was waiting for her spot. Impatience, stress and carelessness cause most of the accidents in our society. She was guilty of all three. At any rate, the support of friends and the camaraderie of fellow artists saved a weekend that could have been a total loss.

When we got home, I had a nice nap to sleep off my anxiety, and my husband warmed up some killer enchiladas that he’d made a few days before. It’s always the simple things in life that get us through the bad times. A smile, a hug, a thoughtful gesture can make up for so much when things go wrong.

My favorite Fall tree: the "Golden Rain Tree." Following spikes of yellow flowers seed lanterns form.

I wish some of my FB friends and social connections would remember that the next time they reply to a message or a comment. I’ve experienced some mean-spirited and ugly remarks recently because of political anger or someone who doesn’t agree with my faith or with something I’ve said. Civil disagreement is expected and deserved. But name-calling or saying that someone would be better off dead or buried is quite another.

If the world were only a nicer place, there wouldn’t be so many lonely and unhappy people out there who later become a forgotten statistic because someone somewhere vented their anger or became an ugly bully without regard for someone else’s feelings.