| When we have a girlfriend, fiancee, friend or a | | | | opportunity to explore what they had for sale, to |
| relative coming to the United States for the first | | | | find great deals and to communicate with the |
| time, each of us thinks of what to do or what to | | | | very friendly owners. She happily listened to the |
| show to impress the visitor. How do we arrive at | | | | stories of how each thing was acquired, why it |
| what that might be? Is it based on personal | | | | was so dear to the owner and the reasons they |
| interests, perhaps from conversations with that | | | | had to sell it. She then shared her experiences in |
| person or just what others show tourists? Is it | | | | post soviet era Russia where they would become |
| culture, or action, or physical characteristic or...? | | | | excited about second hand clothing brought there |
| What is it about your home, your state whether | | | | from "across the border", all with different styles |
| it is East Coast, Midwest or West Coast that you | | | | and fashions, and about Soviet and later Russian |
| believe will capture the attention of a Russian | | | | commission stores. Not willing to throw good |
| woman? | | | | things away and with a prospect of getting some |
| I was very happy to have my mother recently | | | | value back, mom and dad would always take their |
| fly to America for the fist time. Since she is | | | | used items there. The similarities ended here, |
| already widely traveled in foreign land, I knew it | | | | however, as they would never see the buyer, |
| would be a challenge to surprise her, but I still | | | | share the special story of the thing and give them |
| tried. I showed her the beauty of Minnesota lakes | | | | a discount just because they wanted it to go to |
| and nature; the buzzing life of Minneapolis | | | | "good hands". In what seemed like an instant, |
| skyways; Guthrie Theater with its majestic | | | | nearly an hour had passed and we good-bye. |
| "Endless Bridge" overlooking Mississippi river; | | | | The first question I heard from mom the very |
| stately St. Paul Capitol... I thought to show her all | | | | next morning was not about Mall of America or |
| of the things that a first time visitor to the Twin | | | | the renowned Sculpture Garden, but about going |
| Cities might want to say they have seen. | | | | to another garage sale. Whether a Russian or an |
| Oddly, it was not any of these experiences that | | | | American, we all love finding deals and meeting |
| made as large an impression as the simple act of | | | | interesting new people. Where many will look for |
| driving back home through neighborhood streets. | | | | the dazzling lights of a fancy marquee or the |
| We saw big, colorful signs that immediately caught | | | | prestigious neighborhood to drive past, we |
| my mother's attention with their variety and they | | | | discovered that, of all things, garage sales are all |
| produced new terms for her: yard sale and | | | | about that and being an integral part of an |
| garage sale. A few minutes later we came upon | | | | American culture that allow people, regardless of |
| another, where the entire family, big and small, | | | | circumstance, to connect on a personal level. My |
| was out in the garage with hanging clothing on | | | | mother's experience proved to me that these |
| racks, displaying baby toys, some furniture items, | | | | neighborhood sales truly are something to see and |
| etc. We were compelled to stop and go look - | | | | experience. |
| there was no way my mom could pass on the | | | | |