The Last Days of the Red Dragonfly — Reprise
I stopped by the small shopping arcade where the Red Dragonfly had its gallery, yesterday.
It has been two weeks since I last closed the doors there and handed the keys back to the landlord, and I needed to go see one of my former fellow merchants about an order I had been waiting for.
As I walked down the familiar stairs, and past our old store, it was a bittersweet experience. I noticed, in passing, that the "For Lease" sign the landlord had put up has been taken down. It has been replaced by a sign of "coming soon," some other type of photography gallery.
Art by Braden Duncan
It made me happy for Sam, the landlord, that they had found a replacement store so quickly.
At the same time, I also ended up taking a moment to consider the concept of impermanence. Things come, and things go. And what once seemed like a regular part of the landscape, is forgotten in just a few days.
In truth, I'm not as heartbroken that we no longer have a gallery as I once thought I was going to be. For one thing, it is really nice to be outside during daylight hours, and to see the sun on a regular basis. Although I wasn't really aware of it at the time, working underground took a toll on my psyche. I have since spoken to a couple of other people who had worked in that gallery space, and they shared that they had noticed the same thing.
But I also feel a lingering sadness.
On the back of my truck...
Tomorrow, I've got to start putting away all the boxes and bits and pieces that just ended up getting shoved into our garage at the very end; all three pick-up truck loads' worth. And then there will be more work: I get to update the website, and to make sure the new online stores are all up and running properly.
Although this feels like the Red Dragonfly is just a shadow of its former self, it does make me happy to know that the name will live on, at least. My wife and I put a lot of heart, soul and sweat equity into it... and it feels too good to simply "throw away."
Otherwise, I don't have a whole lot to report at this time. But do stay tuned, because this space is not going away!
Thanks for reading, and have a great week!
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