It's finally (mostly) done!

I think moving is the kind of activity that never quite feels done, which is why most people try not to do it too often. Even after everything is moved out, it's never completely moved out. When we moved into the house my parents bought in Ashland Oregon there was all kinds of minuscule detritus left behind such as scrap wood, vintage receipts on closet floors, and the best treasure of all: a tiny antique doll tea cup. Moving makes you face your crap both literally and figuratively, and for many of us, that's not very comfortable and involves copious shots of ouzo.

I'm sitting in a (mostly) empty store front. A space all at once magical to enterprising imaginations and crying out that another business has bit the dust. Because that's what most people are going to think: that we went under in a flash. We have become another cautionary business tale. Young hopeful couples with stars in their eyes are going to tell their friends that they want to start their very own little vitamin boutique and their friends are going to shake their heads and say "Remember what happened to that store that was here before, you know, what was it called? The one with the weird name...Tinpan Alley? They were only there for a year and they tanked. It is so hard to make it in business these days!"

How sad it would be to become a cautionary tale for entrepreneurial spirits. It's not what I want at all. As I sit here in the emptiness that used to house my colorful vision of commerce what I'm thinking is that it's been one hell of an adventure. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I didn't learn that I will fail at running a store; I learned how to run a store pretty darn well. My business was increasing. I had finally developed a reputation and people were seeking us out because they had heard about what a cool shop we had. That isn't failing. That's succeeding.

The money was getting super tight but if I had thought I could run the store and be a healthy person with a healthy family life, I could have gone further out on a limb to keep it going. And I'm confident we would have become financially successful. The highest cost wasn't in loans (though those are fairly daunting) it was going to take too much of a toll on my mental health, on my relationship with my son, and probably with my husband as well. So I'm happy we cut it loose.

It bothered me a little that some other shop owners might be watching us move out with a little smug "I told them so" kind of thought tramping across their brains. I no longer care. I don't have time for annoying smug people who get satisfaction out of predicting failure for others and enjoying being right. Especially when they're actually wrong. So I've let it go. I feel benevolent toward all feeble minded smug people right now.

It must be the beer.

What would the world be like without people willing to go out on a limb? For themselves or for others? What kind of dark grey life would we all be living if no one ever took chances? If we all listened to cautionary tales and meekly followed the advice of the jaded, scared, conservative, or negative people who love to shred enthusiasm wherever they find it? Life would SUCK so bad we'd cease to have souls!

I may be overstating myself just a little.

What I want everyone to learn from my adventure is that it's always worth following your dreams-just be sure to let your dreams evolve and change to fit the reality of who you are and what you need. Don't be afraid to shift gears, it doesn't mean you've failed. It just means you're wise and getting wiser.


*Don't forget to enter the drawing for the fancy tea towel in the previous post! The drawing in on this coming Monday. Go on-leave a comment.