The People Who Notice

Thursday began with the Pegasus bus leaving Frisco without Avery, twice. It ended beside water in the Denver Botanic Gardens, not reaching for a notebook. In between: Courtney DeWinter, his PR counsel, across a table again; and David and Julie Sandusky of Idea Chic, who had met him in motion, working, carrying things, not introducing anyone, and noticed anyway. Inside their shop lives Hazel, a letterpress born in 1933, who is very good at pressure.

An essay on the difference between being noticed and being seen. On the boy who learned early how to make himself readable, and the man who built a life out of it. On construction that is not the opposite of sincerity. On old wooden type that says nothing alone and spells a person together. And on what home turns out to be: not a place, a person. The one who saw you before you started and came back anyway. Sometimes that person is you.

With thanks to

David and Julie Sandusky, Idea Chic, stationery designed and printed in Denver since 2009: ideachic.net · @ideachic · Idea Chic on Facebook. Send more mail.

Courtney DeWinter, PR counsel, DeWinter Marketing & PR, Denver: dewintermarketingpr.com

The Denver Botanic Gardens, for the evening: botanicgardens.org

⌂ Every episode, and the films: averylanemaxwell.com/podcast · the letters, every one open to read: averylanemaxwell.com/letters · the rooms of the house: averylanemaxwell.com/sky · the kitchen: averylanemaxwell.com/kitchen

♫ The Galena House playlist: open.spotify.com/playlist/55wkYr82P02Tsr4zgKZubw

A note from the house: this is a personal podcast. Avery tells these stories as he remembers and understands them, from his own life and perspective. When other people wander into them, he protects what belongs to them; some details are changed or left out for that reason.

• (00:00) - The People Who Notice.
• (01:31) - Let me tell you about Thursday, because Thursday
• (05:28) - That boy knew all about arrangement.
• (07:52) - David and Julie own a stationery shop in Denver
• (10:28) - I have spent a lot of time trying to understand who
• (12:45) - And I found a new happy place.
• (16:19) - There is another moment I keep thinking about, from
• (18:19) - I have moved a lot in my life.
• (20:01) - The brand people would probably tell me I should
• (21:40) - The sun was lowering when I was at the gardens.
• (23:40) - I spent years becoming someone other people could
• (26:19) - I am Avery Lane Maxwell.

[gentle music] The People Who Notice. Episode Eight of Galena House Audio, from Avery Lane Maxwell. I have been thinking about the difference between being noticed and being seen. I am very good at the first one. Always have been.

I am only now learning what the second one costs, which is nothing, which is the whole problem. I once wrote a boy who learns very early that people respond well when you make yourself understandable to them. Be pleasant. Be useful. Remember the thing.

Know when to speak, and know when not to. Carry your plate to the sink. Notice what nobody else noticed and mention it casually enough that it does not look like noticing. Very normal childhood hobbies. The boy gets good at it.