365 To Life

The young man arrives; nervous, unsure, determined.

Ironed shirt, ironed tie, ironed slacks, shined shoes.

Since 1883, the granite sign promises.

The retail world is familiar to the man, yet this place is not.

You’re over-dressed, he is told.

You’ll need to work hard, he is told.

It’s a family place, he is told.

Another interview, this one with his future boss’s boss.

Job is offered, job is accepted, you start tomorrow, April Fool’s Day.

Year one is challenging, a lot to learn, selling products so unfamiliar.

His physicality is tested; his knowledge is tested, his patience is tested.

The work is indeed hard, but he’s part of a team here, a family.

The second year is better, the products familiar, the routine steady.

He meets his future wife, his boss’s sister, and a new chapter begins.

Hard work and dedication are rewarded after his third working anniversary.

A new position is created and accepted, overseeing multiple retail sites.

You’ll need to dress sharper, he is told.

There’ll be travel and overnights, he is told.

Your whole work family needs you, he is told.

The years move on, thousands of miles are driven, new teammates are met.

Expansion, expansion, expansion.

Challenges come and go; employees come and go.

Trust is earned, bonds are formed, respect is a two-way street.

Ten years go by, then twenty, and still he works for the same family name.

In year twenty-one, the family, with no heir apparent, can no longer hold on.

Ownership is transferred, a new chapter in a different book.

We’ll help people fall in love with stone, he is told.

Your team will be taken care of, he is told.

We believe in family, he is told.

Another promotion is given, the keys to the kingdom he knows so well.

Expansion, expansion, expansion.

New companies are acquired, new products are offered, we’re on the move.

Business thrives, not all change is bad, the sense of family remains strong.

Days fly by, never a dull moment, pressures mount.

Covid arrives, new challenges arrive.

Not all is rosy at the top, and the man feels alone more often than he’d like.

He reflects on the past and contemplates the future like never before.

Change is the only constant, so the saying goes.

Nothing lasts forever, so the saying goes.

Count your blessings, so the saying goes.

The business changes hands yet again.

The first nails are driven into the coffin lid of the man’s career.

Cutting costs will save the company, he is told.

Reorganization is healthy, he is told.

No hard feelings, he is told.

Twenty-nine years have come and gone, a flash in the pan of Earth’s rusty rifle.

Twenty-nine years of sweat, blood, tears, sharing, learning, joy, and more.

Twenty-nine years.

What to do, what to do, what to do.

Time is taken, priorities are weighed, future contemplations come to roost.

Too young for this, too old for that.

Stay with the familiar or seek a new path, it’s all on the table.

His wife commiserates, listens, encourages.

The man’s longtime passion calls to him.

If not now, then when, it whispers.

The seasoned man arrives; nervous, unsure, determined.

Dressed for comfort, the keyboard cares little for fashion.

A new career path is forged, full of challenges and a new type of customer.

That’s all right, he’s been pleasing customers his entire working life.

Their stories enrich his stories; life is stranger than fiction.

Pages are written, revised, written, revised, rinse and repeat.

A first book is launched with trepidation and hope.

The reserved bottle of spirits is cracked opened, and a toast is offered.

Sweet validation arrives from all corners of the life he’s built.

365 days from when his old life ended, a new life welcomes him home.

What a difference a year can make, so the saying goes.

The rest remains to be written. 

Thank you for tuning in this week. I hope my passage has given you some of the feels. And if the message isn’t clear, may you never give up on your passions. As far as we know, we have one life to live, so let’s do our best to make every day count. It’s never too late, until it is!  

I’d love to read your comments about your own working journey, so please chime in. Hey, and if you aren’t already receiving my blog via email, be sure to sign up, and feel free to invite your friends to do likewise. There’s plenty of room for everyone! 

And until we meet again, whatever you are, be a good one.  

-Dave