Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Shopkeeper's Lament

From yesterday afternoon:
Beautiful new bags by Hobo International came in today, but it's quiet and rainy and they have no admirers but me.The new John Derian decoupaged glass is here as well, its alluring antique imagery staring out in perplexity at the de-populated store. The plants and flowers, with their significant charms, are waiting to transport someone to a state of grace. But here we are, defiantly incredulous that only the excruciating excercise of marketing will save us from invisibility and possible extinction. Woe is me; I need a social networking guru.

TIP OF THE DAY (Or, between the lines-- NOTES ON ONE OF JEAN'S PET PEEVES): When buying flowers, refrain from asking, "How long will they last?" Be assured that if you look at them carefully and ascertain their health and merits (which I am sure you are capable of doing, dear discerning shopper), and if you are willing to pamper them a bit, they will give you everything they possibly can.  And remember, it's not even about how long they last; it's about how they will be a tonic to your dragging, beauty-starved soul and about how even their process of dying can be quite lovely if you kindly groom and dignify them as they wither. Furthermore, I'm sure you would never ask the waiter at your favorite restaurant how long you can expect the dinner you've eaten to last.....Nor, I hope, would you ask your lover how long he or she will last (whatever you might be referring to) and then accept them or discard them on the basis of their answer, which can only be a conjecture, an aspiration, or an outright lie anyway.