Jackson Art Shows
I know, I know. I didn’t write last week. As a matter of fact, I tried to write and I started writing a couple times.
Last Sunday sitting in a motel room in Jackson, Wyoming, I just couldn’t get focused enough to actually write something. That shouldn’t surprise anyone. As you might have noticed, I have trouble staying focused in the best of conditions.
Last Sunday, Elaine and I were participating in the Western Design Conference Art Show In Jackson, Wyoming. Well at least Elaine was participating, I was hanging around, going hiking (OK, maybe not hiking, more like walking), and getting in trouble.
I don’t like rules. I don’t have problems with all rules, just rules that don’t make any sense. I don’t like to be told where I should park.
Parking attendant: Hey, you can’t park there. Me: Why? Attendant: If I let you park there, everyone will want to park there. Me: OK, let everyone park there.
OK, that didn’t happen. I was just showing you a the kind of rule I don’t like. As a matter of fact, I was able to park where I wanted, at least the first day.
Arriving at the Art Show we were greeted in the parking lot by the organizers of the event. Let me park where it actually made sense. Once we had parked the organizers and Elaine and I introduced ourselves. I made a mistake, I used the name my mother gave me.
Organizer: Hi, I’m Fred. (Not his real name) Me: I’m Darrell. (Real name) Fred: Where’s your other brother Darryl? Me: Hey, that’s funny. I’ve never heard that before. (I’ve heard that thousands of times. Although, I haven’t heard it for years.) Fred: I’m going to need you to wear a name tag. Go inside and they will give you your into packet. Me: Hey Fred, I actually have a brother named Larry. Fred: Huh? Me: Larry, Darrell and Darryl Fred: Oh, your packet is inside.
I don’t like name tags. Especially the kind attached to something to wear around your neck on a chain or rope. Once people know who I am they rarely forget. When you look like a Santa, Leon Russell, or a Duck Dynasty wannabe, people remember who you are. (We are going to talk about my looks in a minute. Ah heck, let’s talk about it now.)
While I was talking about old televisions shows with Fred, the Director of the Art Show tapped me on the shoulder and said, “I’ve got to meet this guy!” See folks, it’s marketing. People remember me.
On the second day of the show, when Elaine and I entered the conference center, I had my name tag in my hand. Fred said to me, “Hey Darrell, I need you to put your name tag on.” Confusing, isn’t it?
Elaine was invited to the Western Design Conference Art Show because her garments drew the attention of the organizers at an outdoor art show in Jackson, Wyoming last July. I wasn’t actually invited by anyone to either one of the shows, but Elaine doesn’t like to go to these things alone.
The outdoor show was nothing like the indoor Western Design Conference……except for one thing. OK, two things, the first thing was both shows were in Jackson. The second thing is a little scary.
At the outdoor show (you might remember) an artist asked if he could take my photograph and paint my portrait. I was hoping to seen him in Jackson and see how the portrait turned out. I didn’t find him.
Elaine left me alone in her booth while she ran some kind of errand in the conference center. While she was gone three ladies (obviously friends) from Oklahoma came into the booth to admire Elaine’s garments. I spoke with them for awhile (because I’m really friendly) about the garments, where they were from, where I was from, and so on. After a while they left Elaine’s booth and huddled up a few feet down the aisle. The ladies returned to the booth and one of them said, “Would you mind if I take your picture?” It was Deja’ vu all over again. (Thanks, Yogi)
The second and third day Fred told me where to park.
Our crazy lives!
Monner