Thursday, July 22, 2010

Ordinary Superpower

What's your superpower? No, I'm not talking about invisibility, or flying, or telekinesis, or the ability to shoot plasma blasts from your hand. (Although that would be so totally cool!) I mean those mundane, everyday superpowers that enable you to always find a parking spot even if it's raining and crowded, or always nab the last pair of shoes in your color and size. You know, a situation where you are always lucky or an uncanny ability you have that people find kind of freaky.

My brother's superpower is the ability to estimate accurate amounts for anything. He can pick up a stack of newspapers and tell you exactly how many there are. Or tell you how many ounces are left in a cup. Or how many karats there are in a diamond. Or how much someone weighs, which is probably something he should keep to himself!

My superpower is knowing how to estimate space and volume. This comes in really handy on Thanksgiving. I have the uncanny knack of picking just the right-sized container to store leftover gravy so that it comes right to the brim without slopping over. I also am really good at packing cars so every last suitcase, bookbag, and cooler fits efficiently.

But my ordinary superpower is probably most helpful at the shop. As you know, our shop is pretty cozy, but we also have lots of great stuff in there. But for some reason we always want to be able to squeeze in a little bit more.

So every summer, before the big brown UPS truck pulls up and delivers our fall goodies, we take a fresh look at our shop and figure out ways to reclaim just a few more inches here and a little more space there so we can cram in just a little more merchandise. This is usually a big process that involves taking everything off the shelves, moving them around a little, then putting everything back.

Just this week, Cynthia and I moved almost every single bolt of fabric and almost every single fabric shelf. We only had to move things a few inches this way and a foot or so that way, but those subtle changes have made a big difference in the look and feel of the shop. It feels more open now, it's easier to get around, and it offers way more room for shopping and classes.

We're still have a few things to do over the next month or so, but we're feeling ready for fall. Bring on that big brown truck--we can handle it!