Yesterday was started with a pleasant surprise, I had woken up exactly when I’d planned to, 5am. So I got dressed, packed up my violin, and went on an exciting 4 hour drive to Buffalo, NY through car tossing winds. I don’t recommend driving through car tossing winds. It engenders a white-knuckled driving style I find quite tiresome.
Finally, I reached my destination, Buffalo’s shiny new Free Market. There, I caught up with Shea Ackers, a fellow fire spinner, one of Buffalo’s social instigators, and, in this case, a driving force behind the market. I hadn’t quite what to expect before heading out. So I was pleasantly surprised when I learned that it was a gift share. People set up their items on blankets, tapestries or directly on the floor, free for the taking. One couple came with flyers to introduce people to a company devoted to creating web sites for individuals and small businesses that were lacking a web presence. A local group that runs a Food Not Bombs provided a delightful dish to share. And a couple of us provided musical entertainment from time to time in order to keep things lively.
Then there were the people. True or no, I tend to consider myself a bit shy. So I was quite impressed when I managed to strike up conversations with no less than a bassoonist, a ukeleli player / conceptual writer, an individual who had attended Rochester’s School Without Walls, and several others interesting and engaging individuals. With such an open group, I’m quite certain that the Buffalo Free Market will become a shining beacon within the local community.
