Calamity at the Festival

It has been a long time since I posted here and I am sorry. You might have thought I had "kicked the bucket" as my father used to say. But no. I have been quite busy with my writing group events and helping writers who call or email for assistance. This week I was asked to help someone who wanted to know how to self-publish a memoir. I gave her my best advice. Another writer wanted my help in finding an illustrator for her children's book. I am working on that.

My largest project that took lots of time was our booth at the Festival on the Square in Hayesville NC where I live. 

For a number of weeks, I asked for volunteers and organized a schedule of when they would arrive to sit at the tables and promote our writing organization as well as sell their own books. The festival lasted two days, Saturday and Sunday from 10 AM until 4:30 PM. 

Writers, Carroll Taylor and Joan Howard in pink

Saturday all was fine. We left with the tables cleared and all our stuff put away in a large plastic tub. I worked the morning shift on Sunday. When I arrived, I found our booth in shambles. The storm on Saturday night had filled the canopy of the tent so full of water that it broke the frame and the tent was almost on the ground. I stood there fighting tears not knowing what to do. I knew I could not physically move the broken tent frame. I could not reach the volunteers who had put up the tent on Friday. I just said out loud, "I don't know what to do."

Suddenly a young couple appeared and without a word to me, they began taking down the broken frame and sodden canopy. I didn't know them and stood in wonder at their ability. I kept saying thank you, thank you. 

Within a few minutes, the woman in charge of the festival, Joan, appeared and said I have a frame you might be able to use with your canopy. I wanted to say to her, I can't put up a frame. I had watched two men set up the poor broken thing that was now on the ground, and I had helped them by holding one corner.

But to my amazement, more people showed up and in no time, the old broken frame was taken away, the borrowed frame was set up and my blue canopy tent was stretched over it. It did not fit perfectly, but a man who owns an Alpaca farm jumped in to help. With duct tape, he and the young couple had a tent up over my tables and I was ready to man the booth by ten o'clock when my cohort arrived.

The young couple turned out to be vendors who had a booth near me. They were from Jupiter, Florida, and the sweetest people. At the end of the day, I took them a copy of Paws, Claws, Hooves, Feathers, and Fins and thanked them for all their help. They then insisted on giving me a beautiful shell from the beach.

No matter how often I hear about this terrible world we live in today, I don't believe it because people are so good to me. Somehow I always find, without even looking, good and kind, caring people. Now there were many other people who saw my problem, but the young couple and Joan and Reba who had the frame they gave me, and the Alpaca Farm owner did not hesitate to jump in to help. That is why I insist there are more good people in this country than bad. We just don't hear enough about the good.

Have a good weekend and I hope you find many good people along the way. I know you, my readers, are good folk. I appreciate you taking the time to visit here.