Our family loves the TV show, The Office. From six-degrees-of-separation to a writer and a character inspiration to my older kids going through each day as if there were a camera following them around, the connections are real. We love watching my husband squirm in his seat as the awkward, uncomfortable and completely socially unacceptable situations unfold before his eyes. Having watched what feels like every available show and movie there is since we’ve been staying at home, we decided to re-watch The Office from episode 1. In one of the earlier episodes, the character, Pam is discussing her hopes and dreams for her future and, in particular, the house she sees herself in. The house she describes is very specific, with a terrace and lots of plants, which, she explains, came from a book she read and loved as a child. That got me thinking…….
When I close my eyes and envision Broadsides & Brews, it is dimly lit with heavy velvet surfaces, like a space frozen in time, yet cozy and safe, the way it feels when you curl up in your favorite chair with a story you love and it’s slightly yellowed pages. Wait! I had a favorite book when I was young…it was about a young girl who found a safe, cozy place that time had forgotten – The Velvet Room.
I search the many bookshelves in my home and find my copy. Severely aged and well loved, the paperback novel has seen better days, but remains on our shelves beside some other beloved children’s stories, ready to captivate another young imagination.
Truthfully, I don’t remember much of the story, other than the young girl finding her secret sanctuary in an abandoned mansion, and in one room in particular, done entirely in plush – The Velvet Room. I may not remember the story itself, but I remember how it made me feel, how finding a special place can, in some ways, help you find yourself and how exciting it can be to share that special place with others.
When you visit Broadsides & Brews, I hope you find it to be your secret sanctuary, with parts of it done in plush. And if you search the shelves closely enough, you may even find a copy of The Velvet Room.
