Thinking It Through

(Customer)

Walking along, I get the feeling of being in the Andrew Wyeth painting, "Christina's World." In the distance, an isolated structure... is it a barn, a camper, a house? I don't know yet. I am in a field, exposed, and this object on the horizon is a destination. I approach and begin to recognize forms: a roof, columns, a door. Spaces begin to separate; a folding platform creates a perimeter around the shelter, an overhang provides refuge, and behind that door must be an interior space. The nearer I get, the more my senses tingle. What is that smell? I know it but I can't remember from where. I am upon the structure and I realize what I have been thinking; this didn't begin here. This isn't a generations-old farmhouse, left to weather over time. This is something new. Whatever it is, this place, it decided to be right here, right now. As if it came from the sky with a purpose and pressed itself into the earth on this precise spot. I try to imagine this space before this new feature, and it seems empty, unfulfilled. That scent is stronger now, and it triggers a memory...

(Proprietor)

When I arrived this morning, everything seemed calm, untouched. I open my jacket to feel the breeze, getting a better sense of the land. This is the right spot. I extend the ramp from the trailer and push the kiosk onto the grass. The wheels lock into place so I can begin setting up. I unlatch the first platform, a large half-circle hinged at the bottom, and let it fall to the ground with a sigh. The vegetation gives, bending to the will of this new surface. A wall is now exposed, comprised of a small lean-to and a private vanity. I release the second and third platforms. From the truck I retrieve a water tank that will supply the sink hidden behind a door. Also, I bring out the register, shelves, displays and merchandise that will fill my small shop. I count the money in the drawer before setting up the incense, candles, lotions, colognes and oils. I am careful with the small, glass bottles but still one falls and breaks. It spills on the platform below and as I clean it up, the fragrance reminds me of a time from my childhood.

(Takeaways)

*Need container for clean and dirty water
*Hinged pieces must be secure and lightweight
*Must have large open space
*Needs inviting "street presence"
*Need lighting beneath overhang and sink
*Must have coffee/scent neutralizer
*Address how to move the kiosk...wheels?