A Not So Simple Life

Today was the Blooms n' Blues Festival in Altus, Arkansas, and I was planning to exhibit at this event.  I sent out discount postcards to people in the area who might be interested in going.  I packed up everything and loaded the van.

Then, the weather came.

Storms brewed up yesterday afternoon and continued throughout the night and this morning.  I decided not to go.  I really hated that I had to miss this event as it was to be my first show of the season.  It has been unusually calm this spring, very little rain, and this was really the first storm so far, and it just so happened to fall on this weekend.  I was really bummed, and... admittedly, a little pissed off with Mother Nature.  The typcial "why me?" scenario completely dominated my thoughts this morning.

A friend of mine, Jim, a wood turner who is the president of my local art guild, did go and set up.  He called me about 10 a.m. to tell me that I had made the right decision.  He went on to say that his canopy had blown over in the wind and was now a pile of twisted metal.  I feel so bad for him.

Now I am hearing reports on the news that tornados broke out in Mississippi and destroyed many homes.  This brought me back to reality and my "woe is me" attitude is completely gone, replaced with feelings of gratitude that the outcome of this morning's storm wasn't much worse for me.  I still have my home.  I still have my family.  Some people will have no homes to sleep in tonight.  To those people, I apologize for having felt sorry for myself.

Next weekend is the Altus Springtime Gala, a small, yet, fun event in the small town's city park.  Altus was made famous several years ago when Paris and Nichole spent their first season of The Simple Life there.  I cannot think of Altus or visit the town without thinking of that show, and that Paris Hilton walked on the same park grounds, sat in the same bar, or frolicked in the same gazebo as I have.

Last year the Gala was rained out and I did not go.  Let's see if this year we'll actually have a good day and good weather.  Only time will tell.  Meanwhile, I am leaving my van packed all week for the show.  At least I won't have to reload it.  There is always a silver lining in everything that happens.  We just have to know where to look in order to find it.