Lately I feel I am riding down a highway watching the mile markers go by, calculating how many miles left to my destination.... I started thinking about personal mile markers recently when I had a death in the family. Then it hit me that I had an anniversary coming. April 24, 2006 was the 20th anniversary of my acquiring my shop and starting work in the craft industry. I was young then. Not a whole lot of experience, just the belief that I could make a go of being a shop owner.
It hasn’t always been easy. Some days I would gladly give the everything to the next person who walks through the door. Other days I get excited and the time flashes by. I’ve made a lot of friends. Some customers are coming in now with little ones and telling them “mommy started coming here with grandma when I was your age”. My white beard grows immediately!
There have been a lot of changes. Some craft techniques have come and gone, and come again. I now communicate with more people online than via telephone. The question is not “Do you have a fax number?”, but “What is your fax number?”. The computer has taken the place of typewriter, graph paper, and ledger sheets. Because I can do more I think I must do more. I’ve survived a customer driving her car into the store. That was actually a plus. It gave me the opportunity and impetus to rebuild displays, rearrange, and get new stuff. Never mind the nightmares and panic when I hear a car rev its motor in the parking lot. I’ve had employees who worked out (and ones who didn’t). I have a couple of fantastic friends who have taken over at the drop of a hat. This has allowed me to see my parents through hospitalizations and finally, their deaths.
My husband has been supportive. He’s not a crafter, but he has a fairly decent eye when it comes to form. He’s put up with late nights, suppers on the go, projects spread all over the house. Over the last few year, I’ve been trying to get into designing for people outside of my brick and mortar store. The Society of Craft Designers gave me the help and confidence to get going.
I have a lot to learn. I will make mistakes. But just like on the day 20 years ago, I know I can do whatever I want. The past is written in memories. The future is a blank sheet, waiting to be scribbled upon. Forward, I go!
