...continued from Part 6

Friday, June 20^th:

Pan’s Ball was invigorating everyone with giddiness, and it was so readily apparent. Not to mention, the weekenders were arriving. So I got in a shower, and I slapped on my pretty dress with wedge heels. I looked gorgeous! I wanted to make sure all the newcomers saw me in my best, and with a good attitude. I figured, we arrived on a beautiful day, and it was beautiful that day too, and they deserved the same welcome. After all, the first two years, I was a weekender, too. No one was laughing at me in my wedges that day as I glided right through the mud with relative ease. I wear heels a lot, so I’m used to the proper stride and stance. I guess that makes a big difference. I looked so good in fact, and I felt good too, that I know I excreted happiness around me. It was one of those times I felt like a Goddess. In fact, as I sat in my chair and greeted the new people driving in, I felt like I was lounging poolside at Club Med, cocktail in hand. What? It’s Happy Hour someplace!

I’m no stranger to vending; I did it for years with our record label. And that day, it dawned on me why I like doing it. It gives me an opportunity not so much to make money (that’s what day jobs are for), but rather to be on the main strip and chat with as many people as possible. It’s what I like about my day job too – meeting people, many of whom are different than myself. And because I opened a booth this year, which by the way I did good in sales, there is no way I would have as many stories to tell if I hadn’t. I wanted to do the Hunt this year, but my workshop coincided with the first mandatory meeting, so that wouldn’t have happened anyway. I wasn’t meant to participate, but I was meant to make other people happy with my artwork – whether or not they bought anything (that’s just a plus).

That night, I was super stoked to open up my photo booth for Pan’s Ball. I changed clothes into jeans and a concert shirt, something to be comfortable in, and I rearranged the front of my booth toward Pan. I got lots of compliments, and I was pretty busy the first hour. Toward the second hour, things slowed down some, and right when I was closing up to join the party myself, a swarm of people came along. And, yes, people actually tipped me for the service. I wasn’t even going to put out a tip jar, but people said I should so I did. I won’t say how much I got, but I will say it was as much as I would have made selling one of my paintings. And yes, people kept coming by making sure I was well imbibed.

At the party itself, I was not disappointed with the awesome and naughty costumes. I do believe, even though the punch was nixed this year due to ordinances, maenads did make an appearance and debauchery ensued - especially at the after-party at the bonfire circle. Naughty, naughty, naughty! I absolutely loved it.

And the best part was – stars! I never get to see stars here in Chicago. I’m lucky if I get to see the moon and a planet. And after all the rain we had that week, a clear, starry sky was most welcoming. I tried to get in my annual walk, and I invited friends to journey with me, but it was just too muddy.

...to be continued.