New Image

Some people are born traders. Last week Jana's father, John Kennedy, stopped by for a visit. Since he was born into the trading post business, he has been at it virtually all his life. At 90 years of age, he is still active, and unable to give it up. His love of the Reservation and trading posts requires periodic trips to our part of the country for a little bartering of Pueblo pottery for Navajo baskets.

Barry has been trading with John much longer than I, since Barry was at Blue Mountain Trading Post while I went off on other adventures and misadventures. Although Barry and I have been around long enough to anticipate most demands from the old traders, we were a little surprised when John requested Jana to ensure that a small quanity of bailing wire found its way into his traveling van. We all scratched our heads until we remembered that bailing wire is the adhesive that keeps our physical world together in the Desert Southwest, and that John had been around long enough to be perfectly competent and conversant with its many uses.

Our father, William W. "Duke" Simpson is another example of one who has trader's blood his veins. Duke would not know what to do if he wasn't trading. With Duke it doesn't matter what is being traded, only that a deal is in the works. Duke has been trading since long before Barry and I were born, and may well be trading long after we have passed.

Barry and I are still a little ambivalent about our status as "Indian Traders." Whenever we are referred to by that title, I can't help but feel that many people must think the term relates to some barbaric trade in human flesh.

Barry has often brought up the fact that we are not nearly eccentric enough to be "real" traders. This has led to the development of many strategies for improving our image within this business. At one time or another we have thought it might work to:

A. Wear Hawaiian shirts and flip flops;

B. Grow pony tails and wear Hawaiian shirts and flip flops;

C. Grow pony tails and long beards and forget about Hawaiian shirts and flip flops;

D. Grow pony tails and long beards and wear western shirts and cowboy boots;

E. Grow long hair and beards and get tatoos and motorcycles;

F. Drink lots of alcohol and treat our customers badly;

G. Enter the world of the great unwashed, and never take baths or wash our hair; or

H. All of the above.

Nothing seems to fit very well, so for now we have to be content with being just plain old milk toast traders with no distinguishing characteristics. Suggestions are always welcome, but we have become sensitive to our lack of an acceptable image, so please be thoughtful and cautious when submitting recommendations.

Copyright©2002 Twin Rocks Trading Post