As the newest edition to the Keith Lipert Gallery, I thought I would take this space to introduce myself and discuss an event my father and I attended that we were fortunate enought to be a part of – as result of being shopkeepers in the wonderful world of retail in Georgetown and Washington D.C.
My name is Adam Lipert and I am Keith’s son – and as I like to tease him – future successor of the Keith Lipert Gallery. Although I assure him I am not planning any coup d’etats anytime soon! I received my undergraduate degree in International Relations and Counter Terrorism and I am now pursuing my Masters in Global Security at Johns Hopkins University. Due to my academic credentials, I naturally decided to pursue a day job in fashion jewelry and modern decorative art. Each day that I come in the store, I like to think that I am coming a day closer to finding that perfect median between counter terrorism and unique fashion jewelry. The truth is that, due to our location in Washington D.C., my father has had the ability to meet many foreign leaders who have taken refuge in our store to find wonderful items for their homes and spouses. The global nature of the items we carry in the store and the international make up of our customers provides us with a unique experience that we cherish. One of those world leaders who my father has been able to grow a friendship with over the years is former Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his lovely wife Sarah.
This past Saturday they were making an appearance at the Jefferson Hotel, where Mr. Brown was doing an event for his new book “Beyond the Crash: Overcoming the First Crisis of Globalization,” and my father was kindly invited. When my father invited me, I was ecstatic because this is the political world I adore. However, just as little kids are told to keep their hands to themselves, I was instructed to keep my political opinions to myself if I wanted to continue to be a part of the Keith Lipert Gallery.
The event was fantasitc! However, there was one point that really made me smile and that was seeing my father and Mr. Brown share a personal moment together – two men who are well known in their fields, but are also “just two dads“. As a shopkeeper, my father gets to share relaxed, and more personal connections with political leaders who come in the store and are not under the political limelight. So upon hearing “Oh, hello Keith, so great to see you again” from Sarah Brown and then Gordon Brown , I thought “What a unique experience to be a part of!” It was especially touching to hear Mr. Brown speak briefly earlier about his connection with his son and how his son keeps telling him “Now you get to be just dad!” While my father is not as well known as the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, he is certainly well known in Washington D.C. for many different things. However being able to share this “political and literature world meets fashion jewelry world” with my own “just dad” is a great thing for me to be able to experience.
This is why my father chose to name this blog “Tales from a Georgetown Shopkeeper” because nowhere else does one get to sell items from all over the world during the day, and share a personal moment with the Prime Minister and his wife in the evening. True to his word, my father introduced himself to the guests that night as “a Georgetown shopkeeper!” Ofcourse I was as startled to hear him say that as they were. But when Mr. Brown and my father were sharing that moment together, I imagined them saying “Yes, Prime Minister. Yes Mr. Shopkeeper.”
Below is a small video clip from the TV show “Yes Prime Minister” – a popular British satirical comedy series from the late 80s.