Thursday, October 22, 2009

Not gonna be smart no more



Yesterday I went to the scheduled run around the city with my cards samples. As usual, nothing went as it planned. What is more, the things that were carefully planned didn’t happen or failed, when the improvisations and mistakes worked out quite well, and this was not the first time in my life. It is decided: I am not planning anymore. Ever. It screws up the way of the universe, apparently.

Let’s see. I was in the metro car already, heading for my first destination (on the far right side of the city map), when I realised, that I am actually right now passing another store that I wanted to visit. I didn’t want to get back, so I jumped out - at the wrong station. I had to walk back and on my way I saw a shop window with some cards in it that looked like ugly older brothers of my Aleutie. So I stepped in, without an appointment, didn’t even realise what that place was. And it happened to be the biggest Canadian gallery, dedicated to the Inuit art. And the owner was in, and he loved my cards and he said that if my cards would sell well, he would get more in the spring, because for them it’s not a seasonal Christmas item – it’s a all-year round merchandise.

I couldn’t believe my luck. I would certainly never even try to go there intentionally. It’s not a shop, not even a store – it’s a gallery! The big and serious one. It would never come up in my search for potential retailers. I have to thank my dumb luck and inability to get directions, because my sense and reason bring me anywhere but to the right places. Like next I finally got to the Noel Eternel – that really funky shop, dedicated to Christmas – and the merchandising manager told me quite coldly, that “they are not a card shop” and they don’t sell cards. No, really, who could imagine that they don’t sell holiday cards in a Christmas Shop? I wouldn’t. I was certain that I could depend on them. Well, I was wrong.

And after that, I went to that gift shop on the far end of the city – very nice looking web-site and they do sell cards for sure – and I got lost! And I ended up in some really horrible area. Like – plant, plant, warehouse, warehouse, then residential blocks with a “shopping strip”, consisted of dirty bars, tattoo saloons, cash-for-checks, XXX video stores and really nasty massage parlours. No buses, no metro, no taxis. Only the river and humongous barges. And local inhabitants, looking at me suspiciously. I was tired as hell, I wanted to eat, wanted to sit down, wanted to get back to downtown and never leave it. Miraculously I found a metro station and got the heck out of there.

That’s it: no more reasonable decisions, and no more assumptions. I have to trust my fate. Smart is bad, stupid is good. Now, shall I go dry my laundry in a micro-wave?

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