Things hold memories. We tie meaning to objects and get hurt when those are made fun or defensive if someone tries to take them away.
Things Have Meaning
Some things bring joy, others heartache.
Most of us have at some time or another had things like paintings, records or maybe special sweaters that caused a flood of emotion. If someone shows you things that for whatever reason cause you to want to make a smart comment or try to take the thing away, STOP! It’s not your thing and you have no idea what that may mean to the person showing it to you.
For example, I went to my basement recently because my wife had been cleaning and moving things. I know there are certain things that I like regardless of what others think. I came across an old velvet painting my brother had given me a few years ago, slightly in jest. The reality is there are some great memories attached to that thing!
A Little History
Back in the early 1970’s my father met a guy named Vance Linek who was selling these velvet paintings on street corners. He was making a good margin on them, approximately 50%. For some, that would be a markup of 100% if that means more to you. Bottom line, good money for something you could do weekends on the side. Vance introduced Dad to George Keller who was bringing these things in from Mexico.
Many of the paintings were nice scenes or portraits, and then there were the tar ships! These things were so gaudy they were beautiful. Actually, this was one of my favourites next to the Elvis that I lost track of years ago. My brother found one of the tar ships years later. I would bet that we sold it originally.
Selling those paintings was a great ride until there was too much competition. There were a bunch of brothers who moved into town selling the same paintings. Those guys were nuts! They would drive through their brother’s display! Dad decided if we were going out of business, we were taking them with us. He went to George and bought all his damaged stock for $5 each and fixed most of them to sell for 10 bucks. In the end, those guys thought we were nuts!
Memories Attached to Things
Not So Happy Times
I don’t like to dwell on negatives but I would be remiss if I didn’t admit that sometimes things hold sad memories. For example, my son passed away and one of the things he left behind is his comfy chair. My wife sits in it all the time.
As much as the chair has sad memories of him sitting in it as he fought cancer, I believe it gives Denise some peace. No matter how beat up that chair gets, there is no way it will ever leave this house. I wouldn’t dream of getting rid of that chair.
As much as there is great sadness attached to that thing, there is great peace in being able to sit with him in spirit. That chair symbolizes the fact that he is never gone. That’s why that chair is here to stay.
Happy Times
The reason there were so many great memories attached to that painting I found is that when I was young, we were a lower middle class family struggling to make the bills and put food on the table. Don’t get me wrong, we never lacked for anything important. We had a great life camping and so on but the thought of something like a new vehicle or luxury items was not much more than a dream. Then Dad found the paintings.
In the following years, we travelled most of Ontario, earning as we went selling those things.
Dad bought his first brand new vehicle. A 1977 GMC Vandura 25. No, the photo isn’t of Dad’s van, I couldn’t find one that was in electronic format so I borrowed one. The van was big enough to travel with Mom, Dad and four kids, even with a small load of paintings on board. Add to that a house trailer from Sicard in Hamilton. We put an above ground pool in the back yard which necessitated a good fence. All of those extras were paid for by paintings like the tar ships. We did a lot of work together as a family but it never seemed like it.
Don’t Touch That Thing!
My wife and I had a little social media fun with the velvet tar ships. As attached as I am to that painting, I recognize the oddity of it and enjoyed the “fight” with my wife over keeping this thing. We are pretty active on social media and our followers enjoy our banter. What I didn’t realize is my younger brother and his wife were NOT enjoying the slights people were making of my painting. For that I apologize.
In the end, I may give my brother the painting if he truly wants it. It will be with conflicted feelings. I love that painting for all the reasons above but don’t really have a good place to hang it where it would get the respect it deserves. Although, my wife is warming up to it hanging over my desk!
That thing holds a lot of great memories!
Next time someone shows you things that make no sense to hang onto, think twice before you open your mouth. The value of things isn’t always financial and may not be measurable. Be respectful and find a compromise everyone can live with.
By the way, would you believe there is a velvet painting museum?! Check out Velveteeria in Los Angeles, California.
Make it a great day!
Barry
P.S. What am I thankful for today? I’m thankful for Mexican velvet paintings. I’m thankful I had great parents. I’m thankful for all of my family.
My son got a cell phone for his 16th birthday. He was told he had unlimited texting. No one explained the difference between texting and MMS. This was 9 years ago and that was all new.
I can’t really give an example of running without making it up but I have had to face change a few times in my life that were painful. For example, when I worked for 
Sales is the act of convincing someone to change their mind about something with the hope that they will see things your way. The popular phrase in sales is “stop selling and help them buy”. No matter how you cut it, it’s still sales. You helped move someone from one position to another and if you did it well, they think it’s their idea! The question really becomes do you WANT to do sales? In each of the examples in the list above, someone had a strong desire to convince someone they had the best idea and their prospect NEEDED to follow their lead. What are you passionate about? Do you have a strong enough belief to risk being told no? If the answer is no, the response is NEXT! Find what you are passionate about and do that.
When you meet a “natural” sales person, the reality is that they learned from someone somewhere. Have you ever met that person who could sell anything to anyone? Take a look at their family and I will bet you someone close to them shows many of the same traits. This could digress into a discussion of nature versus nurture but I believe 
Through all of this, it’s important to be “friendly”. We are all people and have feelings. When you approach someone with a challenge and an honest intent to find an equitable solution, it promotes a feeling of safety and leads to more open dialogue. I’m not saying you should be best beer buddies, just approach discussion with honesty and integrity. Collaborate to seek a fair solution without being mean about it.
May 05
Trump Effect on Markets, Money and the Economy
May 5, 2017
How will Trump affect the financial markets, money markets and the economy? Regardless of what you think of the man, he is already showing a positive effect on all of the above!
I’ll admit to being a little lazy, this is from my Canadian perspective. For the most part, US markets and economy usually demonstrate similar patterns. I’m not going to treat the US separately for this purpose.
Trump The Markets
Just over a week after the election, the market closed last night at 14,733.22. During that 8 day period, the market shifted not much more than one percent up or down on the most volatile of days. As of May 4, 2015, the market was at $15, 396.70. This means the market was up 5% in six months.
There was a more drastic change August 28 to September 17 in 2008 when the market tumbled from 13,750.48 to 11,877.69, a change of 1,872.79 points. This was a drop of 13.6%. (These numbers were calculated using TSX historical market numbers.) >>>Click here to check the numbers
So, what is the net Trump effect? Not much. This isn’t to say there can’t be. As always, we need to be aware of world events and consider them when making investment decisions. The key is to consider all factors but not in isolation and with a view to the long term.
Trump the Dollars
When Donald Trump won the election, it had a positive effect on the US dollar. Because our dollar is mostly measured against the value of the US dollar, it appears to be Canada’s loss. But, is it?
Trump the Economy
We won’t know the effect of Trump on the economy for some time yet. Typically, the markets are a leading indicator for the economy. Right now, there isn’t enough time passed for a fair measure but the short term numbers seem to be pointing to little change or maybe a positive outlook. We will just have to wait and see.
All The Noise About Trump
I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to tire of it and really don’t pay a lot of attention. I believe most of the noise is because he wants to keep everyone distracted so he can achieve his objectives. Are you going to let him?
Go ahead. Trump that!
Make it a great day,
Barry
P.S. What am I thankful for today? I’m thankful to be Canadian. I’m thankful it looks like the Trump noise is dying down. I’m thankful for spring showers. What are you thankful for today?