Now mind you, back in my pre-retirement life, this is a condition that I was never overcome with. That's because previous to leaving my career (at a distribution company in the mid-west), I never knew anyone else who loved beads, beading and jewelry in quite the same passionate way that I do. No, not a single solitary person! I seemed to be quite unique in this...until we moved out west!
We've been in Arizona for the past winter and were in the same general area the previous winter as well. This is the Verde Valley area in the center of the state--home to the famous red rock of Sedona, beautiful Oak Creek Canyon, all kinds of mines--both abandoned and working, horse and cattle ranches, small western towns like Cottonwood (26 miles from us in Camp Verde and home of the closest Walmart (!), cacti, desert, mountains, roadrunners, wild javelina, extremely hot sunshine and icy cold shade. It's 40 miles west over the mountains to Prescott in the 'high valley', around 60 miles north to Flagstaff, also in the mountains, 60 miles southeast to Payson, another elevated climb. While we are in a lusciously beautiful bowl of a valley, we are still at about 3200 feet, so the entire Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa area is referred to officially in the state as "The Valley" and is only 1100+ feet in elevation. I prefer to think of the Verde Valley as THE Valley.
Along with all the visual delights of this breathtakingly beautiful state, bead shops are to be found EVERYWHERE here. And I discovered that the hobby that made me unique and different back in the mid-west is nothing unusual here. While that is somewhat discouraging in one way, is also affirming in others meaning that there are all sorts of folks like me all over the place! And I've been able to discover the delights of talking to others who share the same excitement, joy and passion of this craft/art. At long last I can have a conversation about beads and jewelry without the other person's eyes glazing over with boredom or that look of "just doesn't get it"!
This leads me to finally getting around to the subject. There are a couple of wonderful ladies who live close by, who share my enthusiasms. When we get new beading/crafting supplies, whether it's beads, stones, or what-have-you, we gleefully bring out our latest haul to show the others. This was the scenario the other night. My friend hauled out her newest stash. As I oohed and ahhed over the cool beads and stones, I picked up a lone, smallish, rather unassuming faceted barrel shaped bead. As I turned the bead around and looked it over, I realized it was a real FIND. I still don't know exactly what it was and my friend had never seen one like it either. It was sort of like an aqua and cream color jasper but it had some facets that were tiger-eye-ish and some like agate. She had found it at an area bead shop in the $1 bin.
Later that night I found I could not get that darn bead out of my mind. I had to have one like it. Or better yet, a whole strand! My brain would not let go of it. Next morning, I told my husband I needed a trip into Cottonwood to that bead shop so off we went. Twenty six miles and 2 hours of combing through every bead in every dollar bin in that store and I could not find even one sister bead to the one I so envied in my friend's stash. But of course I didn't come out empty-handed. There's no such thing as a bead fanatic going into a bead shop and coming out with zip.
Later as I worked through my disappointment, I marveled at the intensity of feeling that had come over me.......and over something so silly as a single bead! I dismissed the whole episode and told myself to get over it. And so I have. Except...until that marvelous bead fades entirely out of my mind, I'll always be looking for one like it in every bead shop I enter from now on. But I'll also most certainly be on my guard against succumbing to bead envy to such a crazy degree. Besides, now I have crafty and beady artist friends to share with! That's certainly more precious and beautiful than any bead.
Till next time...
I shall pass this way but once; any good that I can do or any kindness I can show to any human being; let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.
Quaker Missionary
Etienne de Grellet (1773-1855)
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