29 Jun News from Experienced Goods: July 2023

As astrological sign personalities go, I am about as Taurus as they come.  Stubborn, quiet, relatively slow to anger (don’t push me too far, though), enamored of beauty, the outdoors, good food, art, fiercely loyal.  I do not like my feet to leave the ground, whether that means climbing a ladder, flying in a plane or getting on a boat.  I once got so seasick sailing in Nova Scotia that my companions dropped me off on a tiny island and came back two hours later to pick me up.  So it is safe to say that you could not pay me enough to get into a minivan-sized submersible vehicle to sink 12,000 feet below the surface of the ocean to view the wreck of the Titanic.  As the recent news of the missing adventure tourism submersible evolved, most people, myself included, listened with both horror and hope in our hearts, imagining what it might feel like to be trapped in a small space below a vast sea with oxygen supplies dwindling.  It was like watching one of those race-against-time movies in which the characters are in great danger but you know they will survive in the end, except we didn’t know, and this was not a movie.  And then we learned what actually happened to the submersible and its crew, and I felt a surprising mix of emotions: Grief, anger, gratitude that they likely died quickly and did not suffer, empathy for the families and friends of the victims.  I also felt wonder at some people’s desire for risk and adventure, a longing that overrides fear — in fact, might welcome it.  

But while I might not get into a submersible or jump from a plane, I do stuff that some might consider adventurous or terrifying, like getting up on a stage and singing songs or submitting my writing for publication. Almost 30 years ago I drove out to Vermont from Colorado with everything I owned stuffed into a 1982 Subaru wagon, buzzing with the adventure of starting a new life in a new place.  A year ago, Experienced Goods took the risk of moving the store to the C.F. Church Building after 15 years at 77 Flat Street, and when we made the decision to pull up stakes and started planning the renovation, we really had nothing to go on but creative vision and faith that the process would work.  That faith and creativity paid off in spades, as was evidenced by the continual stream of shoppers and donors coming through our doors on June 17 when we celebrated our first anniversary in the new space.  As I say in almost every newsletter article, we are grateful for, humbled by and so appreciative of the support of the Brattleboro area community.  

Bravery is relative.  For someone with severe social anxiety, simply walking through the doors of Experienced Goods may be an exercise in steely resolve, a test of one’s ability to conquer debilitating fear.  The Covid-19 pandemic gave new meaning to the words fear and risk, and for many during those times just getting through the day was an act of bravery.  Most of us have a metaphorical precipice in our minds that we occasionally walk up to and peer over; it is often alluring and terrifying at once. It’s as if risk is the extroverted cousin of fear, urging, “Let’s jump! What’s the worst that could happen?” I admit that my cautious Taurus self was dubious when we first started talking about moving the store. Now I am so grateful for my co-workers who are bolder and more visionary than me, who took us over the cliff edge and landed us safely on the solid ground of the new and inviting, exciting Experienced Goods.