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Seventeen: Courageous Vendors

10/18/2014

2 Comments

 
I tend to avoid looking vendors in the eye. Afraid they will expect me to buy something, I often walk quickly past their stalls, glancing only at their goods. But this morning as I walked down University Place toward NYU and passed rows and rows of vendors setting up their booths, preparing for the day to begin, I witnessed something I’d never seen before.

At first I was fascinated by the preparations themselves. The way each vendor took time and care, fastening down tent flaps and arranging clothes, jewelry, food items, sunglasses—whatever he or she was selling. They arranged and rearranged, positioning their wares exactly. The precision and care was lovely.

As I walked, my gaze transferred to the vendors themselves, and I was amazed at what I saw. A husband, wife and son worked together in one booth, while many booths seemed to be run by pairs of brothers, or grown children with their parents. As I passed them by, looking closely, many of them raised their eyes to mine, and I smiled back. Some said, “Good morning,” and I returned the greeting with no fear. The fact that they did not have their wares arranged meant there was no expectation, and I felt comfortable and friendly. 

Later, I wondered what it would be like to work as a vendor and have people avoid your glance. It would be hard. Not only in a business sense, because after all, their livelihoods depend on making sales, but also in a human sense. Their profession is so naked—they have created these goods with their hands, and have put them on display, along with themselves. I am so used to having the distance a store provides that it makes me uncomfortable to be presented not just with the goods, but with the manufacturer herself. It feels as if by refusing her goods, I am making a judgment on her person.

In some sense, I suppose I am, and many of the vendors would probably be okay with that. They have poured themselves into their goods (at least in this particular street market), and they stand or fall with the quality of their work. It wasn’t until this morning that I realized just how much courage it must take to lay their handiwork before the world—and how much beauty can be found in the people behind the counters.


~Ruthie

2 Comments
Briana Meade link
10/19/2014 03:51:57 am

These are beautiful, hard words. I was struck by this: "Their profession is so naked—they have created these goods with their hands, and have put them on display, along with themselves. I am so used to having the distance a store provides that it makes me uncomfortable to be presented not just with the goods, but with the manufacturer herself. It feels as if by refusing her goods, I am making a judgment on her person."

Isn't this so true? This is one of my biggest struggles in life. Sometimes it seems that we are all these vendors--so easily rejected with our precious goods. And yet we are offering these vulnerable, key parts of ourselves up to the world. Art is such a difficult thing--for this very reason. I've started to consider the idea of "art for arts sake" combined with a solid awareness of your gifts, combined with faithfulness, as the only combination that makes this vendorship possible--this kind of courage possible. Of course, I'm putting myself in the place of these vendors! For some reason, some people have the confidence to do this without considering the intricate, deep, "worth" issues that arise, but I think others are more aware of the implications of standing at a street corner. Each one of your posts makes me think so deeply! They are such contemplative thoughts on issues that resonate for me. Recently I have felt like the only way it is possible for me to faithfully vendor my personality, my writing, and my thoughts is to have a deep awareness of my objective worth in Christ's eyes. It is such a struggle, this sitting at Jesus' feet. I say this blithely, but it is a constant struggle for me to inhabit this reality fully---with my motherhood, my personhood, my relationships, my writing--whatever!

Thanks for this...and for the final thought "how much beauty can be found in the people behind the counters." Ahhh, but this is the true summation, the clutch point. As we see ourselves as beautiful and worthwhile, so too we capture the vulnerability of others and may truly truly appreciate our kaleidoscope of 'wares' with...joy :-)

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Ruthie
10/23/2014 02:33:50 pm

Love these thoughts. So glad it was an encouraging post for you!! Life is such a beautiful, messy struggle. :)

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