Thursday, September 10, 2009
intermission - part III
Saving all your vacation time until near the end of the year can really rock. Really.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
get the lead out - part VI
I've returned from a wonderful weekend with my parents. They took such good care of me, I think I just may go back. I am glad to know they enjoyed the weekend as much as I did.
So after a break, I return to making a living or making a life.
This phrase sounds cliché. I think most people understand it. Yet, over the years I’ve gotten so far afield from the objective that I didn’t even notice. I think it’s easy to accept that “the way things are” is the best it’s going to get, rather than confront the reasons why things aren’t better. After 8 years of putting lots of energy into making the best of a bad situation, I realize how little I’ve ended up with and how differently I could be doing things.
I blame the Bush Administration.
I’ll tell you what I’ve discovered this year. I like surprising a fox or a rabbit or a bird on the nest. I like hearing an unfamiliar noise, standing still and waiting for it to reveal itself. I like not being able to see something at first because it is so highly camouflaged, then seeing it come into focus because I was patient enough. I like falling into creeks and coming out a little scraped up. I like not knowing what I’ll see, but knowing I’ll see something.
I like getting a D-minus in tomato growing one year to get a C-minus the next year. I like adopting the scientific method in the preparation of the perfect suet cake. I like capturing blurry images of wings on camera, then getting better with practice. I like learning what I do not know.
To some people who know me, this may seem out of character. Why is that? It’s the same thing with my writing and my interview with the painter. They have no idea because I work, I come home, I take care of the house, I prepare for a new day at work. I have driven hobbies and interests out of my life, dismissing them as superfluous.
But now, particularly after the summer I’ve had, when my friends call me, they often begin the conversation with “what trail were you on this weekend?” I like that. I like it a lot.
So do you want to hear a little more about my store?
--Laura
So after a break, I return to making a living or making a life.
This phrase sounds cliché. I think most people understand it. Yet, over the years I’ve gotten so far afield from the objective that I didn’t even notice. I think it’s easy to accept that “the way things are” is the best it’s going to get, rather than confront the reasons why things aren’t better. After 8 years of putting lots of energy into making the best of a bad situation, I realize how little I’ve ended up with and how differently I could be doing things.
I blame the Bush Administration.
I’ll tell you what I’ve discovered this year. I like surprising a fox or a rabbit or a bird on the nest. I like hearing an unfamiliar noise, standing still and waiting for it to reveal itself. I like not being able to see something at first because it is so highly camouflaged, then seeing it come into focus because I was patient enough. I like falling into creeks and coming out a little scraped up. I like not knowing what I’ll see, but knowing I’ll see something.
I like getting a D-minus in tomato growing one year to get a C-minus the next year. I like adopting the scientific method in the preparation of the perfect suet cake. I like capturing blurry images of wings on camera, then getting better with practice. I like learning what I do not know.
To some people who know me, this may seem out of character. Why is that? It’s the same thing with my writing and my interview with the painter. They have no idea because I work, I come home, I take care of the house, I prepare for a new day at work. I have driven hobbies and interests out of my life, dismissing them as superfluous.
But now, particularly after the summer I’ve had, when my friends call me, they often begin the conversation with “what trail were you on this weekend?” I like that. I like it a lot.
So do you want to hear a little more about my store?
--Laura
Friday, September 4, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
get the lead out - part V
So, after all that exhausting buildup, are you still with me? Do you still want to know the plan?
In broadest terms, the idea is simple. I am moving back to Colorado, where I went to college. When the timing is right, I’m opening a retail store catering to birdwatchers and birders.
This isn’t an elaborate plan. Granted, it would be a lot easier to pull off if I were still renting an apartment, or if my belongings fit inside a Ford Escort like they did a few years ago. It would also be a lot easier if I had money or retail experience.
So why do I want to do this, something which involves so many things I’ve never done before? And why do I believe I’d be successful doing it? You might be surprised by my answer. I don’t know.
That might sound incredibly foolish, but I will offer this to you. If you’d asked why I wanted to work for a small printer in north Georgia, I would have the same answer. “I don’t know. I need to make a living.”
That’s all I understood about myself then. I needed to accommodate my financial needs and my life would take care of itself. I think lots of people manage to appropriately separate their working life from their living life. Goodness knows that I’ve tried and become successful at it. But I don’t want to be successful at it anymore. I want them to match. I want to be completely impractical and find work that expresses who I am and what I believe.
My mom knew from a young age that she wanted to be a nurse, and I was always just a little jealous of that clarity. I’ve now come to realize that not knowing what I wanted to do has gifted me with the ability to do many things, if I can find the meaning for myself in the task. Is it a little oddball to reach 38 years old, wanting to open a business? I can see that point of view, but this isn’t just any business, it’s a business run the way I think they should be run. I see it more of a vehicle than a destination, a way to network within my community. In particular, the nature themed store becomes a way to support and advocate for a more natural lifestyle, a greener profile, a source of information and education about the natural surroundings, a way of educating and entertaining children and adults, and forming relationships within the business community.
And I want to live in the same community that supports my store. I want to walk to work. I want people to know that I belong there. I want my neighbors to visit my store and walk out with items I can vouch for.
So what if I didn’t know I wanted to be a birdwatcher when I was 13 years old? I came to it a little late. But I like watching birds. I like being outside. I can learn what I need to know and share this with other people. It is the vehicle to get me to a place where I not only make a living, but a life.
More on this after Labor Day. I'm taking a break from thinking so darn hard, and I'm going fishing.
--Laura
In broadest terms, the idea is simple. I am moving back to Colorado, where I went to college. When the timing is right, I’m opening a retail store catering to birdwatchers and birders.
This isn’t an elaborate plan. Granted, it would be a lot easier to pull off if I were still renting an apartment, or if my belongings fit inside a Ford Escort like they did a few years ago. It would also be a lot easier if I had money or retail experience.
So why do I want to do this, something which involves so many things I’ve never done before? And why do I believe I’d be successful doing it? You might be surprised by my answer. I don’t know.
That might sound incredibly foolish, but I will offer this to you. If you’d asked why I wanted to work for a small printer in north Georgia, I would have the same answer. “I don’t know. I need to make a living.”
That’s all I understood about myself then. I needed to accommodate my financial needs and my life would take care of itself. I think lots of people manage to appropriately separate their working life from their living life. Goodness knows that I’ve tried and become successful at it. But I don’t want to be successful at it anymore. I want them to match. I want to be completely impractical and find work that expresses who I am and what I believe.
My mom knew from a young age that she wanted to be a nurse, and I was always just a little jealous of that clarity. I’ve now come to realize that not knowing what I wanted to do has gifted me with the ability to do many things, if I can find the meaning for myself in the task. Is it a little oddball to reach 38 years old, wanting to open a business? I can see that point of view, but this isn’t just any business, it’s a business run the way I think they should be run. I see it more of a vehicle than a destination, a way to network within my community. In particular, the nature themed store becomes a way to support and advocate for a more natural lifestyle, a greener profile, a source of information and education about the natural surroundings, a way of educating and entertaining children and adults, and forming relationships within the business community.
And I want to live in the same community that supports my store. I want to walk to work. I want people to know that I belong there. I want my neighbors to visit my store and walk out with items I can vouch for.
So what if I didn’t know I wanted to be a birdwatcher when I was 13 years old? I came to it a little late. But I like watching birds. I like being outside. I can learn what I need to know and share this with other people. It is the vehicle to get me to a place where I not only make a living, but a life.
More on this after Labor Day. I'm taking a break from thinking so darn hard, and I'm going fishing.
--Laura
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