Not too long of a post here this morning...still catching up on sleep, which came at a premium this past weekend! Thanks for all that came by my booth at Bele Chere in Asheville - always great to see old friends and make new ones!
I was not able to take Monday off because there was no one to cover my shift, so after the show closed at 6pm Sunday in Asheville, NC, and after breakdown, pack-up, and transport of show hardware and items, I got home at 11:15pm Sunday night...the alarm went off quickly at 2:30am and so began my Monday as a zombie. Wheeeedoggies!
Overall, comparing 2008 to 2006 at a very large festival of at least 300,000 attendees, this year's business was about half of what it was 2 years ago, for me...true testament to our lagging economy. Put Phil Graham or any other politician in my face and have them tell me that the economic situation is self-imagined and not as bad as many make it out to be, and I'll smack 'em into next week. The average person is hurting, plain and simple...and even with gas now coming down some pennies, many are struggling greatly to make ends meet. I heard it, up front and plain and simple from many visiting my booth.
If that were all, that would be understandable. But I experienced another twist above and beyond what I've seen before...
(soap box, please...)
I had one particular flute that was quite affordable, that had a butter-melting voice quality. One young man, with whom I had a mutual flute acquaintance, asked me to set the flute aside and he'd be back real soon to pick up the flute after he went to an ATM and ran one other errand...he never showed again. I put the flute back out the next day, and had an elderly gentleman then fall in love with the very same flute, telling me to hold it as he'd be back after mass the next morning to pick up 'his' flute. He never showed again.
I can understand watching someone try several flutes and fall in love with several and then not be able to buy the one they want...that's business as usual. But to tell someone you want a one-of-a-kind instrument, and ask them to take if off the sales floor and hold it for you, and then pull a no-show is not cool. Not cool, at all. Of course, I allowed them to do it, so it is a learning lesson for me, all the same. Too, it means that particular flute is still searching for its appropriate owner.
(okay, stepping off the box...)
So, that was the odd part of the show...Saturday morning showers weren't too heavy, and the crowds eventually came out...and luckily afternoon thundershowers didn't hit the festival, either. Being next to and downwind from a misting tent actually helped when the sun burst out, too, thanks to evaporative cooling!
As I said up top, one of the best parts of such a festival, especially with my having lived there a few years ago, was seeing old friends that I'd not seen in years...those kinds of connections and friendships that are timeless...
We now return you to your regularly scheduled workday...have a good 'un!
I was not able to take Monday off because there was no one to cover my shift, so after the show closed at 6pm Sunday in Asheville, NC, and after breakdown, pack-up, and transport of show hardware and items, I got home at 11:15pm Sunday night...the alarm went off quickly at 2:30am and so began my Monday as a zombie. Wheeeedoggies!
Overall, comparing 2008 to 2006 at a very large festival of at least 300,000 attendees, this year's business was about half of what it was 2 years ago, for me...true testament to our lagging economy. Put Phil Graham or any other politician in my face and have them tell me that the economic situation is self-imagined and not as bad as many make it out to be, and I'll smack 'em into next week. The average person is hurting, plain and simple...and even with gas now coming down some pennies, many are struggling greatly to make ends meet. I heard it, up front and plain and simple from many visiting my booth.
If that were all, that would be understandable. But I experienced another twist above and beyond what I've seen before...
(soap box, please...)
I had one particular flute that was quite affordable, that had a butter-melting voice quality. One young man, with whom I had a mutual flute acquaintance, asked me to set the flute aside and he'd be back real soon to pick up the flute after he went to an ATM and ran one other errand...he never showed again. I put the flute back out the next day, and had an elderly gentleman then fall in love with the very same flute, telling me to hold it as he'd be back after mass the next morning to pick up 'his' flute. He never showed again.
I can understand watching someone try several flutes and fall in love with several and then not be able to buy the one they want...that's business as usual. But to tell someone you want a one-of-a-kind instrument, and ask them to take if off the sales floor and hold it for you, and then pull a no-show is not cool. Not cool, at all. Of course, I allowed them to do it, so it is a learning lesson for me, all the same. Too, it means that particular flute is still searching for its appropriate owner.
(okay, stepping off the box...)
So, that was the odd part of the show...Saturday morning showers weren't too heavy, and the crowds eventually came out...and luckily afternoon thundershowers didn't hit the festival, either. Being next to and downwind from a misting tent actually helped when the sun burst out, too, thanks to evaporative cooling!
As I said up top, one of the best parts of such a festival, especially with my having lived there a few years ago, was seeing old friends that I'd not seen in years...those kinds of connections and friendships that are timeless...
We now return you to your regularly scheduled workday...have a good 'un!
1 comment:
Sorry I couldn't get to Asheville. Mom helped clean up her sister's yard from storm damage and had some other things to do. I'm glad you had a good time. Maybe I can come see you at your next outing.
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