I am definitely having some deja vu this week. And I am not happy about it. The news is old. I am disheartened by what I see on TV. My thoughts of being hopeful are shattered. I do believe, though, through Art we can express ourselves better then violence. We can overcome disasters, also. But, I don't feel right now the world has overcome anything......it is the same old sad story.
I am also doing a lot of soul searching for decisions in my personal life. Not too sure this busy life is worth it all. I think I need to slow down, but I don't want to miss any opportunities. So, I am looking to the past for answers. Four years ago this week we had two stores open. Glen was at the store in the Grand Arcade most of the time. It was May 5 2011 and Crosby and Nash were going to play at the Paramount theatre. I made a decision to close the store at Cookman and work the store in the Grand Arcade. I still can't believe Graham Nash stood in my store flipping through records asking ME questions and telling me how cool I was. Then later, I had the pleasure of David Crosby looking at a scrapbook and telling me about the Deja Vu album cover. When I saw the album cover I knew it would make a perfect scrapbook cover and rushed to have one ready for when they would play in the building. David Crosby set up the perfect story of being careful what you wish for. He told me each sepia picture was attached to the early albums by hand....then there was the gold embossing. It was the most expensive album cover ever made. So, after they sold a million copies......they had to make more. You would think that would be a good thing. But, it was a very expensive process. I could feel exactly what he was talking about. As Artists go an investment in yourself can be very brave, but when it is a group effort it is even braver.
This morning I saw a pile of records Glen was cleaning. The Deja Vu album was on top, so I put them together to take a picture. Isn't it amazing????? You can tell each picture was attached by hand. Most are a little crooked. Some are closer to the bottom. It reminded me when I use to sell Waterford. I will never forget in the early 90's a bride came in. She was so lucky to receive twelve Lismore goblets (all from different people). She was furious!!! LOOK she said as she pulled each one from the wrapping. LOOK, she said these are horrible. Horrible I thought? I love Waterford and would be happy to own just one. She starting comparing the cuts. She said EVERY single one is different. This cut is small, this is long. Isn't it terrible she asked? Well, yes I said they are all different, but they are all hand cut. That is the beauty of being hand made. She, didn't see it that way. And, I found a lot more people had the same attitude. A few years later the pattern became machine cut. We had a lot more happy customers who ended up paying the same amount of money for this. By, the year 2000 most of Waterford was machine cut.
I thought we had come so far, since this album was made. But, we haven't it's the same old story. And, all I hear is the media trying to find a moral to the story.....it's because there are no jobs? It's because we don't manufacture any more? I don't have any answers except, people do need to express themselves. But, when it is at the expense of others safety and well being, it is wrong. Let's rise up.......again.
On a side note. I LOVE that something like this is happening in the summer of 2015. But, it is scary. The streets and shops were deserted. I went to costco after and there were lines 10 deep for everything. It leads to the question of Curious again for the state of Main Street America. Are we all asleep at the wheel. Yes, the downtown area buildings are kept up beautifully along with landscaping. But, the businesses were open and EMPTY! What is happening and at what is our future like? It is obvious this art installment was used to help this situation, but it is also obvious people have to stop and smell the roses too! It is a busy and fast paced world right now, I hope if you have the time to read this you too can take advantage of something that is free and close to home. STOP and smell the roses, PLEASE!
