I Came to Buy Stuff—Instead, the Merrie Monarch Arts Fair Made Me Question Everything
I didn’t go to the Merrie Monarch Arts & Crafts Fair expecting to have a philosophical crisis. I went expecting what most people expect when they hear “arts and crafts fair”—a pleasant, mildly overpriced stroll through tables of handmade things, some polite nodding, maybe a purchase I’ll later justify as “supporting local artists,” and a quiet internal calculation of how quickly I can leave without looking rude. Instead, I walked into something that made me realize how aggressively hollow most of our everyday transactions have become. And yes, that realization came while standing in front of a table selling hand-carved koa wood bowls. The First Mistake: Thinking This Was About Shopping Let me confess my mindset walking in: I was ready to consume. Not experience. Not connect. Not learn. Consume. That’s the conditioning, right? You hear “fair,” and your brain flips into marketplace mode. What’s the price? What’s the deal? Is this cheaper than Etsy? Can I find something similar...