It happens to everyone, at some point. There are just some days you’d like to pull the covers over your head, and just sleep. I had one of these days recently, and I think it was a little blessing in disguise. Here’s why…
I was having an “off” day. Nothing really wrong, I just wasn’t my happy self. That’s normal. We can’t be happy and positive every second. (Though I try, I really do try!) I found myself driving to pick up supplies, and just not really feeling like getting supplies at that particular time. I felt blasé and kind of depressed. It was a rainy day, so perhaps that had something to do with it. At least, that’s what I told myself, as I tried to rationalize my behavior. Before I knew it, I had driven right by the store I had intended to go to, and I just kept driving. I was leaving the city limits and heading out of town, telling myself I didn’t have time for a drive. I needed to complete my to-do list and get the things I needed for the next day’s project. But I just kept going. Every opportunity to turn around just passed me by, as if my car had a mind of its own. I turned on the radio. I couldn’t find a song I liked, so I turned it off, and instead, listened to a familiar upbeat playlist on my phone. But I just wasn’t feeling upbeat. I turned down a side road, and watched the rain scatter across the hills in front of me, like a curtain I would soon pass through. I turned my wipers on because I was already encountering some mist. Then I noticed the sign. “Barn Sale” it read. It was positioned at the end of a drive, and had an arrow pointing onward, down that drive. I turned in, and drove slowly. I saw the barn at the end, but there weren’t any other cars. Maybe they already had the sale and forgot to take the sign down. Maybe I was early, or late. Or maybe there wasn’t anything worth stopping for. But I headed on, and parked my car near the front doors. One big door was propped open with an old tire. I walked in, though I had already made up my mind this was a mistake. There would be nothing here that would interest me. As my eyes grew accustomed to the dark interior, I immediately smelled the smell. It was the smell of old leather, and musty old wood. I looked around and saw an old tractor, partially covered with a tarp. Beside the tractor was an old barn door on its side, and perched upon it were several saddles, crops, bridles, and a big table with other horse “stuff” that I wasn’t sure about. Looking in the other direction I saw a completely different scene. There were three or four big old wooden hutches; some had missing glass in their doors, and some were missing doors completely. But they were beautiful, old pieces. There were a stack of old frames, and lots of milk bottles, old horse blankets, tools, and even a couple of nice big farm tables. There were wooden buckets, and wooden benches, and lots of old items. I was impressed with the amount of beautiful things in that old barn. I heard someone walk in the barn, behind me. I turned and saw an elderly lady. She was very pretty. Her gray hair was tied in a knot on top of her head, and her clothes were covered by a crisp apron. Her eyes were blue and bright, and she smiled warmly at me. She wiped her hands on her apron, and extended one to me.
“I didn’t hear you pull in, honey. I was baking in the house. You’re welcome to look around all you like. I got just about somethin’ in here for everybody, I think. There’s lots of antiques…like me.”
I laughed and took her hand. She was very sweet, but there was something sad about her.
We talked about our love of vintage items. I told her about my shop, and that I wished I had room for her hutches, and her lovely big tables.
“I wish I could keep everything,” she said in a voice so quiet, I almost didn’t hear her. I turned and smiled at her. She smiled back, and then said, “When we found out we were going to lose this place, it just about killed me. It nearly did kill my husband. This farm has been in his family for eighty years.” She moved past me and picked up a tool from the “horse stuff” table. I had no idea what it was.
Reading my mind she said, “This curry comb belonged to my husband’s grandfather when he lived here. He raised Belgians here all his life. A lot of these saddles and tack belonged to him.” She was studying the comb, but I could tell her mind was somewhere else. Her fingers traced the wooden handle, and she lightly touched the rusty metal rings. After a few seconds she placed the comb back on the table, and said, “Well honey, I won’t hound you. You just take your time. I’m going to put my bread in the oven, and I’ll be back in a bit.”
She turned and left. I walked over to the table where she had placed the curry comb.
The items on this table represented someone’s life. It was as though I was looking at a collection of a man’s work, his passion. Now here they lay, in the dusty barn where they had once been used- the man no longer alive. I imagined gathering these items and displaying them together on a wall in a rustic room with barn siding, or using them to decorate a horse enthusiast’s home. Even with their obvious age, they were quite lovely. I didn’t know what they were, but I could see the possibility. It was sad to know they would be sold along with the farm. I imagined them in a home, but no one would know the story behind them. They were all that remained of someone’s life.
Right then and there, I realized my mood had changed. The little cloud that had plagued me all day had lifted and I wasn’t down anymore. Listening to the woman’s story of how they were losing their farm made me realize I didn’t have any reason at all to be down. This woman was losing her home, and was baking bread, being sweet and cheerful despite her plight. If she could find a way to be happy, I surely could pull myself out of my blah mood, and count my blessings. I felt I had almost been drawn to that barn that day. It was as if I was being shown that no matter how down we get, someone else has it worse, sometimes much worse, than we do, and we can learn a lesson from them. Sometimes it’s nice to get out and see something different to make you feel good, and happy.
I felt glad I had stopped by the barn sale that day. I made a new friend, and she helped me feel a little better through “barn therapy.” She eventually came back from the house, and we chatted about old times, and how life got to be so fast-paced, and in a hurry all the time. I enjoyed our conversation. And when I left the barn that day, the sun had started peeking through the clouds.
I hope when you come in my shop I can give you that kind of feeling- some good conversation among new friends, a feeling of camaraderie, like we’ve known each other for years. And I hope that if you’re feeling down, I can raise your spirits, and make your day a little better. That’s what I love about my shop- I get to give a little bit of myself while providing retail therapy to my customers. We all need a pick-me-up now and then.
Tami Loves…new friends, sharing the good old days.
