November at Experienced Goods
by Jennie Reichman ~ If you come into Experienced Goods, it's unlikely that you will see me working at the front desk; I spend the majority of my day sorting, hanging, tagging, and pricing clothing in the organized chaos of the back room. I do make appearances behind the cash register when giving our regular desk workers a lunch break, or when the madness of the sales floor reaches a crescendo and an extra pair of hands and eyes are needed. In many ways it's a welcome break from the relative isolation of the sorting room; an hour or two interacting with shoppers keeps my social skills honed and on many occasions has resulted in really satisfying conversations that restore my faith in the (for the most part) goodness of humanity.
I also overhear conversations that are sometimes hilarious, sometimes cringey, sometimes profound. I recently witnessed one such small but potent exchange between a mother and her two young daughters as mom was paying for their purchases. I don’t have children, and it reminded me that being a parent requires the diplomacy of a politician and the quick-witted wisdom of a good lawyer. Mom had bought a plastic toy dinosaur skeleton for the girls. Daughter 1 was holding it; Daughter 2 wanted it. A tug-of war-ensued, complete with recriminations and tears. Quick as a weasel, mom rescued the skeleton from the battle and declared, “If you keep pulling on that it's going to break. I’m going to hold onto it until the two of you can work this out.” Like magic, the whining stopped and the three of them left the store, hopefully to engage in reasonable and fair-minded negotiations. I realized that this was not the first time these methods had been utilized, and that all three of them knew that conversation and compromise would probably result in a satisfactory solution. What can we learn from this scenario? I leave it up to all of us and the governmental powers that be to figure it out.
On a less philosophical note, can we talk upcoming holidays? Halloween is over, delightful costumes have been worn, enjoyed, and discarded, candy has been eaten and/or squirreled away. Turkeys are on the horizon, along with trees, sparkly decorations, menorahs, fancy party clothes and the gift-buying frenzy. For all of the above (except the turkeys), we are here for you. Supplies for the winter holidays have been appearing on our shelves and racks for weeks, along with fabulous gift ideas (Yankee Swap is our middle name this time of year). And as we launch into November with holidays on the brain, don’t forget to honor your loved ones who have passed on Dios de los Muertos, The Day Of The Dead, November 1. Light a candle, write a note or poem, sing a song, pore over photographs. This is how we give these dear ones an afterlife, by remembering them.
Keep in mind as well that the town-wide Miniatures Festival will be launching on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Experienced Goods is creating two beautiful windows filled with tiny, exquisite displays; come see these scaled-down worlds of wonder!
For all of you who have been asking for warm winter clothing, we are opening and hanging boxes of sweaters and other woolies, as well as putting out insulated and wool coats, ski wear, hats, gloves and scarves. And skates! The ice skating rink is open at Memorial Park, and we have good quality gear in all sizes. It's also baking season (is it ever not baking season?); be ready with cakes, pans, pie plates and rolling pins from our housewares department.
This is a busy, sometimes fraught time of year, at a stressful juncture in our country’s and the world’s history. Remember to be kind and patient, generous and forgiving. And if you need a break from the holiday frenzy, come into Experienced Goods for a dose of conversation, community and retail therapy!