This is Ron with your Motivational Message:
After three days of painting for hours on end, my jaw was tired, my neck muscles were sore, my hind end was hurting, and the summer heat was getting to me…
I had committed myself to an exhibitor booth at the county fair in my hometown of Albany, OR. I was sitting at one end of my table, paintbrush in my mouth and an old wooden easel supporting my canvas. Folks would stream by, both children and adults, stopping to watch in amazement. Chances are these people passing by had never seen something like this before. My painting in and of themselves are nothing to drool over, but because of the technique employed, most spectators stood in awe.
It was nice to see old friends and meet new faces, but the greatest thrill for me was to see my daughters, Roni and Gracie, sell their handmade bracelets and “God’s Eyes.” They were delighted when I told them that they could sell their crafts at my fair booth this year. Admittedly, I was a little jealous that they sold more of their art than I did mine!
On the third day without many sales, I was feeling worn out and discouraged. I began to think, “Who cares, anyways?” “Am I really making a difference?” Not paying attention to who was behind me, I slapped paint onto my canvas with a bad attitude. As I did so, out of nowhere I heard a small voice from a five year old girl. “Look, Mommy, he paints with his teeth!” A little girl with a head of red ringlets watched every move that I made, gazing intently for at least five minutes. Finally her mother said, “Honey, we have to go now.” The little girl did not want to leave. I could feel my heart soften.
The little princess stood behind me for what seemed like an hour, when her mother then asked if she would rather watch me paint or go on the carnival rides. Her reply surprised me, “I want to see the man paint, Mommy.” I lost it; tears welled up in my eyes as I turned to say to her, “Oh, how I love you! Could I give you one of my prints? I’ll sign it for you.” In the end, the little girl was so grateful and I was so changed. I left feeling much better about what I was doing, knowing that anyone can make a difference, no matter how big, small, different, or disabled.
I’m confident there is a little girl out there waiting to encourage you.
Sometimes the road seems hard; there are bumps, curves, wind, rain, and the sun beating down on you. We are all human, the emotions come, the emotions go. Don’t give up, you’re nearly there, count your blessings–it’s your life we care to share.
To your inspiration,
Ron
Ron you and your paintings are such an inspiration. You are right there are many times in life when you have expectations for a specific outcome, such as “if I go to the fair and set up a booth people will surely see the effort that I am going through and then they will surely buy one of my paintings.” But what ends up happening is some small person comes by and reminds us of what we are really there for, and you end up giving a painting away instead of selling one.
It is these little angels that come into and out of our lives that teach us the lessons we need to learn. What a blessing that was for you in the end.
Thanks for sharing this story and all the other ones over the years. Keep your chin up and your heart open that is the best way to fly through life!!!
With Love,
Kathy