Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Rodeos, Rubens and Reverse Warriors

Leaving the shop late Friday evening, I had forgotten that the Labor Day Rodeo was set to start. I have always enjoyed this event, and used to attend it regularly. My father was quite the horseman in the Mexican rodeos and he and my uncles used to ride in the Deiz Y Seis parades in downtown Dallas on horseback.
Growing up in Dallas, of course I have a keen affiliation for Cowboys, both rodeo and the football kind.  As I was tooling down the back roads of Old Town, Kealy St. that is, I caught sight of a handsome cowboy sitting tall in his saddle with the sun setting behind his back.  I just had to smile.

Times are a changing, but at least for the time being, we still have a rodeo here in town.

Labor Day is a national day away from the J.O.B.'s and I almost always take my day off seriously. This past year, we decided to go out to Canton, home of the World Famous First Monday Trade Days. My grandparents used to own a farm out there many moons ago and my Grandpa Ruben used to love to go to the Trade Days. I do too. I love to spend the day walking and shopping with my husband, eating Texas Tornado Tater's, turkey legs, drinking ice cold lemonade and sweet tea. And sometimes, I even find some impressive deals and steals! We taste new and interesting food products, see the latest big thing.  We've made friends out there over the years and try to visit some of the same vendors. This month, they had a heck of a time with the heat on Thurs, Fri and Saturday and then on Sunday came the north winds. I have a special place in my heart for vendors, they are an adventurous lot, fired up with the entrepreneurial spirit, hopeful to make their fame and fortune, many times not breaking even.
It's the chase, the hope that springs eternal that just maybe there is a pot of gold to be found by vending at some of these events. Truth be told, that is a myth, a pipe dream. The days of "making a killing" are gone. What with the overhead costs for tents, tables, insurance, event fees, event percentages plus your product, mixed in with the extreme weather here in Texas and a sluggish economy, it is damn hard to make your expenses and make a profit. Even at the World's Largest Flea Market and Trade Days, there are plenty of broken dreams to go around.
We have seen a lot of the vendors just disappear, some move around to a better "spot", some go to other more fertile ground (ie, a new event somewhere else). With the glut of so many festivals in the DFW area, our economy, and all the gloom and doom we hear on the tube, this is not gonna be a great year for special events and outdoor festivals.

I have sold tamales out in Canton more than a couple of times. But gave up after a few months, after the work, the weather, the tiredness, the losing money woke me up. I still intend to be there again one day, I am just waiting for the right spot at the right time.

I can always see the value of re thinking, reworking and reversing old values, opinions and ideas. Sometimes a break is all you need to see the forest for the trees. Hope yall all had a good little break with the long Labor Day Weekend.

About time to Fall...Yeehaw....And Go Cowboys!

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