Still Standing

"Here it is: Are you still standing? The answer is, Yes! (And no adverbs like "barely" are allowed here). If you are still standing, ragged flags or no, you are able. Thus, you have passed the bar. And even raised it."  -Clarissa Pinkole Estes

All day Sunday, I kept thinking “S.S. or Still Standing”.  Clarissa Pinkola Estes references this frequently throughout her stories of pushing through difficult circumstances.  I was at my first art show of the season this past weekend.  For those of you who have done or do outside shows, you understand that one of the biggest stressors is weather.  There was potential for scattered storms throughout the weekend, and I had mentally prepared to deal with rain.  The days during the show ended up being beautiful and sunny.  However, a couple huge storms rolled through Saturday night with lots of rain, wind, and hail.  I arrived Sunday morning to a tent that had been wrestled to the ground by water that had accumulated on the roof.  The tent frame was mangled and broken in several places.   At first, I was sure I would have to pack my things up and go home.  It was beyond repair, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to make it work by myself.  That is when the first wave of support showed up.  Several of my artist neighbors came to help me get the water out and devise a way to make it work for the day.  We ended up using extra poles I had with me and, quite literally, zip-tied and ducked taped it together.  We made it work and, thankfully, there weren’t any high winds.  The tent stayed standing for the day.  I felt so cared for and appreciative of everyone.  Numerous artists and volunteers at the fair stopped by throughout the stay to check on me and make sure I was ok.  I kept thinking how it was the best case scenario considering what happened.  My tent frame was broken.  Yes.  And yet, all of my product had been safely stored away in plastic bins, none of my display was damaged, and even the tops of my table cloths were dry enough to use for the day.  Incredible. 

The next concern was getting another tent.  I knew I needed a more stable one and, ideally, one that I would not have to be worried about leaking.  Paper products and water do not mix well, and it’s always unnerving when it rains even a little bit.  I also knew that the kind of tent I wanted was more than I can currently afford.  On Monday, I began to contact folks in the artist community to see if anyone knew of a used tent for sale.  The Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen replied with an artist’s information.  Thankfully, the tent was still available when I called.  That is when I realized that the universe was conspiring in my favor.  I drove down to Corbin through the gorgeous hills of southern KY to meet Ora Alsip.  He is a photographer and takes has gorgeous photos of rural communities and settings.  He showed me a photo of a moon bow, which I had never heard of before.  He said the best time to see one is the night before the full moon if the weather is clear.  It was not only a pleasure to meet him and his wife, but he took time to teach me how to set-up the tent and showed me the easiest way to do so.  What had seemed like a mess the day before turned around into a beautiful experience.  I am now the proud owner of a stable, water-proof tent and am so very thankful to Ora and to the artist community for being so caring and supportive.

Some of what did not get damaged