When I was in the seventh grade, my
father who had been vice president of a major company in Massachusetts and had
invented many cutting edge electronic devices, left the corporate world and
opened a small greenhouse and retail business in Vermont. We sold antiques, made and painted wooden
furniture and signs, and even created creatures out of driftwood and sedums. My life changed
dramatically. I also learned something
that had a profound effect on the way I choose to life my life.
Life is about taking chances and
following dreams. I’m not talking about flitting from one profession to
another. I’m talking about knowing when it’s time to reassess life, put fear
aside, take the chance and move in a new direction.
I’ve been in retail since I was a teen.
The awards in this photo are some of the ones I've won for professional floral
design. Okay, I’ll brag some more. I’m damn good at it. I’ve owned and run my
own retail shop for almost twenty years—freaking six days a week. A fifty to sixty
hour work week is normal. Every weekend of
the summer is filled with brides and weddings. Every holiday is a work day for me. And I have other dreams.
So, come the end of October, my husband
and I are closing the florist end of our business. We are remaining in the antique business and
plan on doing things we both love, like more antique shows, picking, flea markets and eBay. We are keeping our shop and going to be open for antique sales by chance or appointment—man, will that be freeing. And if you do happen to
want to buy a Vermont country store, you could probably talk me into selling the building.
Needless to say, my writing time is
about to go from stolen hours after work and Sundays to something much more expansive.
A year from now, we’re going to
reassess. I may open a wedding-only florist business in 2015. But for now, we
are grateful that we can afford to give ourselves one year to breathe and enjoy
new dreams.
Good for you--good luck!
ReplyDeleteThe good thing is, my husband and I have worked together for years so we're used to being around each other a lot.
DeleteWOW! That is so incredibly exciting! Bravo and woohoooooo!!!!
ReplyDeleteYour example did come to mind. But NO chickens in my future :)
DeleteVery awesome that you will have more writing time, Patty! Personally I hope you don't sell your store yet...at least until I make it up that way one day! :) Best of luck w/ your new ventures!
ReplyDeleteThank you. Your support means a lot to me. It's scary, but we'll never know until we try.
DeleteI would love to see your store too! Alas, I've never been up your way. Best of luck to you!
ReplyDeleteThank you. If you ever get up this way, let me know. It's still going to be an antique store.
DeleteAwesome! Change can be really, really good. You'll never know how great you can be at something until you give it your absolute all. Clearly you gave the floral business your all, and I bet you'll be no slouch when it comes to nearly full-time writing. Best of luck for a super year ahead!
ReplyDeleteYou hit the nail on the head. Whether it's flowers, antiques or writing, over time, the best way to do things changes and I need to change too--in order to give it my absolute all.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on such a big decision!
ReplyDeleteThank you. It's pretty scary and exciting!
DeleteGood luck! I think that's a fantastic move, and I'm secretly envious of you for having the guts to give it a go.
ReplyDeleteAll the best.
The trick is to announce it all over the place, then it gets easier to follow through :)
DeleteI think this is something a lot of us struggle with, but don't always know how to name. Awesome post! I'm glad you found what we're all looking for!
ReplyDelete