Yesterday I spent the gorgeous afternoon working with the 100% Living team at Earth Day at Lake Eola (Orlando, Florida). 100% Living, owned by my sister and brother-in-law, Kim and Darrell Smith, promotes the message of “indulge in the bounty of the great outdoors in harmony with nature.” We enjoyed introducing a few thousand attendees to the company’s line of 100% organic cotton shirts (the softest shirts ever!) with graphics that ignite the senses. All different kinds of people stopped by who share a common denominator: preservation and protection of Mother Nature. We answered questions galore: “What makes a shirt ‘organic’? How is the cotton grown? Why did you start the company? What does ‘100% Living’ mean? Would you be interested in being a guest speaker?*, etc., etc., etc.” Very introspective inquiries.
Darrell Smith,
Outdoor Enthusiast
One visitor was particularly memorable. The young man, on the thin side, probably in his 20’s, alone, walked into the 100% Living tent-booth. Darrell greeted him. The man said nothing. A series unfolded: Feel the 100% Living shirts on display. Read the descriptive signage. Look around. Think. Feel again. Re-read. Look around again. Think some more. Then some more. And more. The man of zero words repeated these same actions over a period of about five minutes.
We three got the same vibe — this man was doing things his way, leave him be. It was like an episode right out of Seinfeld. A bit absurd…not that there’s anything wrong with that! Then the earth shook. The man pointed and spoke, “I’ll take one. Size medium. The ‘tread’ style.” He took out his wallet, paid, my sister thanked him, and he was lost back into the crowd.
We three looked at each other and smiled. Sometimes what you don’t say is as important as what you do say.
*Need a guest speaker? Darrell Smith, outdoor enthusiast and co-owner of 100% Living,” is an expert on a diversity of topics related to environmental consciousness and living an active, healthy lifestyle in unity with nature. Contact: dsmith@100percentliving.com.
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