Early morning sunlight found its way through the gap in the heavy curtains, creating a burst of warmth that caused the room to come alive. Highlighted dust particles swirled and danced in the morning sun while in the corner of the room a chair responded. It glowed as its covering of wool fibres caught the light. It stood confidently, supported by its short but sturdy wooden legs and a family that had fallen for its charm long ago and who continued to love it to this very day.
The chair had become one of the family, hesitantly at first as its mismatched upholstery had created a bit of a stir for being out of the ordinary. It wasn’t to everybody’s taste, visitors would say “it just looks a little odd and it doesn’t really fit in!” But these short sighted comments became character-defining and over the years the chairs’ distinctive personality came to represent the diverse patchwork of experiences of family and friends who simply talked, listened, argued, laughed and relaxed in the chairs’ presence.
As more friends sat in the chair and shared their story, It quickly became apparent that its quirkiness was infections. The chair’s ability to encourage an unconventional point of view seemed to be all down to the unique blend of tweeds that hugged its frame which in turn hugged those that chose to sit and be comfortable. And when comfortable, people are more likely to share their thoughts and ideas freely, reminding us that there is always something new and interesting. They make observations that you’d not considered before and share a special perspective that would invite anyone to rethink what they thought they already knew, and it was this that became the chairs super power.
A super power that could rescue people and whisk them away as they recounted tales from afar, a power that ignited a sense of wonder and brought out the best in those that sat down to share stories that mattered to them most. And through this exchange the chair became a dependable safe platform that could be relied upon. A stage that was celebrated for supporting those with something to say as it continued to encourage those with a story to tell to simply get on board and tell it.
