Never Expected to be Thankful for These Things

Since it is Thanksgiving week, I am using this time to talk about why I am thankful for the markets I have done (and why I am going to miss them!) I gotta admit there were some strangely heartwarming moments tucked between the windstorms, the back pain, and that one unhinged goblin bitch.

I’m thankful for the day my entire sticker wall collapsed, because people proved they weren’t feral.
One very, very windy day, I thought we had everything under control. No tent. Displays weighted down. I was willing to get sunburn in exchange for the anxiety that would have come with the tent & wind.

We were delusional. My entire sticker wall yeeted itself to the ground, and so did every single sticker. They went flying like Elphaba. I didn’t count them, but I know at least ten people immediately stopped what they were doing to help us pick them all up. They didn’t have to do that. Honestly, I’m still thankful no one got crushed because that wall was heavy enough to ruin someone’s week.

I’m thankful for the customers who announce they came just for me.
Anytime someone says “I came here just for you,” it’s embarrassing how fast I light up. I thrive on that validation. It makes every minute of setup, every sore muscle, and every late night worth it.

I’m thankful for the vendor neighbors who basically became family.
Sasha and Tameka at SunRae Visuals have saved my sanity more times than I can count. We developed our little rituals at the farmers market: Sasha and Zach grabbing coffee, Sasha and I wandering around, Zach and Tameka doing their own thing. They turned a stressful environment into something warm and familiar. If they didn’t come to the Farmer’s Market when we were there it just was not the same. Their friendship means the world to us.

I’m thankful for the weird intuition.
When it’s slow, I will absolutely sit down and scroll my phone. I refuse to stare into space like a haunted mannequin. But I swear I can feel when someone walks into my booth. Even without looking. It’s spooky. It’s useless outside of markets.

I’m thankful for the funniest interaction of the year involving my Bucc-ee’s shirt.
On Easter, I wore my Easter Bucc-ee’s shirt. A guy asked where I got it, and I said “Bucc-ee’s” in the most unintentional “well… duh” tone. We laughed it off. Fast-forward months later, he finds me at another event and goes, “I’m the asshole who asked where you got your Bucc-ee’s shirt!” I nearly cried laughing.

I’m thankful for the booth setup Zach and I built with our own hands.
Everything we’ve built, we built ourselves. Custom displays, acrylic signage, the ability to transform a booth layout depending on the space is basically a secret talent. And when people walk in and say “your branding is so good,” I pretend to play it cool, but inside I’m giddy as hell!

I’m thankful for the regulars who made the farmers market feel like home.
Some turned into true friends. One of them, Jada, I actually hang out with outside of markets. The familiarity, the “oh hey, it’s you again!” moments, the gentle routine of seeing the same faces every week… I’m really thankful for that.

Okay this one is a little surprising, but I am thankful for the goblin bitch.
She gave me anxiety so intense I could’ve spontaneously combusted. Truly top-tier psychotic energy. But telling the story online made me go viral, and somehow the mayor now knows who I am. So, yeah… silver linings.

I’m thankful for our pre-market Taco Bell ritual.
Night before a market, I’m usually racing the clock, so cooking dinner is not happening. Taco Bell became our ritual without us ever deciding it. It’s comforting and predictable. And that’s exactly what I need in those times.

I’m thankful that Zach explaining OMYTFYM gives me free serotonin.
Every single time he’s forced to say “it stands for ‘on my way to…’” and try to sound wholesome, I break. It is performance art at this point. It’s even better when it’s an older person asking.

I’m thankful for the people who showed up for me again and again.
Zach, who is my rock and does all the heavy lifting. My vendor friends, who turned long days into something enjoyable. These people made the year brighter, even when the markets themselves… didn’t.

So yes, markets drained me, aged me, and nearly killed my sticker wall, but they also gave me friendships, hilarious stories, viral moments, community, and memories I wouldn’t trade. Even if I will be trading the early mornings.