STALLING

so how did the glowing debut go?
what glowing debut?
d'ya mean brum climate fest?
that's right
that 'unofficial launch'
the one you been blabbering on about for weeks
i dunno - ok i guess
you dunno?
what d'you mean you dunno?
come on chief - spill dem beans!
well i guess it coulda been better...
and it coulda been worse
how so?
well it almost didn't happen at all
this morning
at the crack of dawn
after a few miserable hours of tossing n turning
we load up john's jalopy with all my paraphenalia
little bro turns the ignition key and...
you guessed it already
the car doesn't start!
after a couple of tries
there's nothing for it but to get out and push
a mighty heave clears the car over the lip of the drive
sending the blood coursing through my veins
luckily we're on top of a hill
and the momentum kickstarts the engine
despite the drama
we're one of the first to arrive
breaking the habit of a lifetime
we set up in a small marquee
opposite a kids' funfair
before j heads off
he casts his eye over the stall
advising about where to put stuff
the banner-lilies-wine triple whammy looks good
it's quiet so i chat to some fellow stallholders
networking while i can
leaf logs
sustrans
groundwork
sustainable moseley
eastside
the bham foe lot...
eventually people start to trickle in
but from the opposite direction to the one i expected
so they tend to look down at the table
see a 'drop-in surgery' sign-up form
be none the wiser
and only grok the banner on their way to the next stall
the stalls either side have lots of freebies to give away
which goes down well with the punters
most of whom drift past ignoring me
i'm tired and a bit apprehensive
i don't know where to stand, what to do with my hands
or exactly how to start the conversation
how do you engage people without scaring em off?
i suddenly realise i've got three factsheets on display
but no product fliers
doh! get with the programme fireseed!
the climate quiz sparks some interest
but i only get two people in the chair all day
an albanian immigrant who sadly explains his wife's pts
while his bored children chivvy him
and a polite japanese lady
who wants to know if she should handwash or dishwash
a very high proportion of punters are non-native speakers
in fact it's like having a stall at heathrow airport
the day finishes on a low note
a pakistani bloke i can hardly understand
asks me how i measure energy use
he's on about technical stuff
u-values and combined energy consumption meters
i explain i analyse energy bills and look for potential savings
'call yourself an expert' he snorts disdainfully
shuffling off to the next stall
ah get off my case!
time to pack up
shame the lady from the evening mail didn't show
the knockbacks!
who welcomes em?
but they're probably the most useful feedback of all
i may not have rustled up any business
but i'm slowly sussing out the public psyche
joining up the dots
fitting another piece into the puzzle