Teenage Party and River Days 2008
You'd think that at some point between 1999 and now I would have taken some pictures of one of my booths at one of my fairs, especially since many vendor applications require such pictures, but within this post you will see the first two photos I've taken of a booth of mine within the month! The exterior of this one will be decorated, and I've subsequently procured some better chairs. What sorts of words and pictures do you think I should put on it? Now that I've returned from camping and my trips to Canada and Texas, let me begin catching up by saying that I've been accepted into two Pastoral Education programmes and have chosen one at which I will begin my chaplain internship in a month.
This was my first year at the Renton River Day's festival, and it proved to be my most lucrative yet! I sold tarot and crystal ball readings only, since the fire department wouldn't let me boil water for tea leaf readings. I'm considering selling palm readings in the future, but the fact that people usually only buy one has discouraged me. What do you think? Should I sell them? One thing I found unusual at this fair is that the white male clients nearly matched the female clients. Normally my in-person demographic is heavily skewed towards the female as well as men of colour. I ask that parents give permission for the readings of children, and for the first time at this town I did see some parents decline. "No, we don't do that." I shared business there with the Auburn Psychic, who gave me a curious and surprising warning! Apparently on the morning of the first day, the psychic with her own storefront located in town came to her booth and tried to bully her into leaving, saying "this is my town!" Can you imagine a psychic turf war? I was prepared to call security if she tried the same treatment on me, but she never came to my booth, strangely enough, as I share her hometown!
Also of note is that I was the entertainment for a birthday party of about twenty middle-school girls! That party was plenty of fun with some girls gasping in groups at the readings while others chose to have theirs performed privately. They even built me my own tent out of sheets! The parents were kind and saw that my plate was always full and my cup was never empty while I read for the guests! I was assured as I left that many of the young guests will have me at their own parties, and the parents will be having an adult party of their own soon!
