Fouche: A Jewel of Charleston

"Who Dares Nothing...Need Hope for Nothing"

This was written on a pen I received from an older, African American lady I met last week while attending a Historic Charleston Preservation Society Meeting.

My husband invited me to go since we are both really interested in the history of the city, and my dream is to be invited to a big Charleston holiday 'to do' where I can get dressed up and pretend that I 'fit in' with that lifestyle...and we can eat lots of finger sandwiches, and drink lots of wine and talk about what an 'eyesore those gigantic cruise ships really are' off of historic Charleston's harbor (which I totally agree with). One can dream, right?

What I expected of the evening was something that was mildly entertaining, and most likely followed up with dinner and drinks downtown (my fav). So why not. What I experienced was quite different. The slide show history and narrative about the city was fascinating. All of the buildings that no longer exist, the buildings that 'could have been' but thankfully Charleston nixed because they would have been simply hideous...I mean, a building like the Atlantis Resort looks great in the Bahamas...but wouldn't fit in at all in Charleston. No use turning a beautiful city into a freak show. And thankfully, someone had the foresight and the will to say 'no' to that big monster, and yes to the restoration of the buildings that hold the history and hearts of many very passionate people.



Following the slide show, wine, passed hors d'oeuvres, and beautiful mini-cupcakes were unearthed for the 'well preserved' society members in attendance. And I don't say 'well preserved' because these people were older (though most were). Those were actually the stickers that were handed out, which absolutely made sense but may have been somewhat offensive to the attendees. It was pointed out to me that I didn't look 'well preserved'...I just looked 'WELL'.

As I tried my best not to look like a wall flower while double fisting glasses of white wine, I decided it would be best for my husband and I to split up to mingle. I've never been very good at mingling with strangers whilst being judged. So off I went toward the cupcakes when I saw a very happy looking woman in her 60's wearing what I would call a gray tuxedo dress. And I use the term tuxedo loosely since what she was really wearing was a fitted gray chenille turtleneck dress (something similar to what my mother may have worn in the 80's), a matching gray hat, and beautiful silver beaded jewelry similar to the imported jewelry from Africa my mom used to sell at craft fairs (no this isn't a promo for my mom - I just really could see my mom in this outfit). This woman's shining aura overtook the room, and I wasn't the only person waiting to talk to her.

And so I sat down next to this woman that proceeded to tell me first that her dress was in fact from 1980, and 'boy was it still looking good!'

'Don't call it a comeback!', I said. I would seriously wear the dress she had on, if I had it in my size.

She replied that she was thankful for spanx, because apparently they don't sell girdles anymore. They allowed her to 'look THAT GOOD in that dress'. I admit, she looked really nice.

Really, I'm not sure the last time I've met someone who was so comfortable in their own skin that the first thing they would say to a stranger would be about spanx and not just say 'what great weather we are having today'. It was truly inspiring and made me think about how much I need to loosen up.

This woman, Fouche, told me she was here to market herself, and proceeded to hand me a pen (with this Blog's opening phrase on it and her contact information, and the text FOUCHE * "A Charleston Charm", Poems, Stories, PowerSpeeches).

Every pen has a different saying on it, she said. And to market herself, she accidently 'drops' her pens on airplanes and in public areas. And people Google her, and call her. It works. This woman is a marketing genius.

Fouche knows everything about Charleston. Many generations of her family have lived in downtown Charleston, and she's an actress and a Docent, retelling Charleston's history at different events to the tourists that come through town. And she spoke a poem in a by-gone African language, and then said it again in English, and it was captivating. And I thought to myself, 'who wouldn't' be calling this woman to hear her stories at schools, local events, and churches. But this economy has left many very talented people hitting the streets for jobs. What amazed me the most was the unwavering smile on her face throughout our conversation, and the clear faith she had that her situation was temporary, because I struggle with simply having faith on a daily basis...I know we all do.

My hope is that this jewel of Charleston will get discovered, so everyone can see her shine. And when I start a conversation off about spanx, it's either time to get worried, or to breathe a sigh of relief.