It's not about the nail.
Happy graduation to the PHS senior class. Sorry to miss it, it isn't a great day. I hear a lot "oh, you are never at the shop." Not entirely true. There is a wonderful haven of a back office where I do what an owner/operator does. I feel grateful to have staff hired to work the front end of the shop. If it wasn't for them I would have closed the shop already--due to the many days I was too ill to work or be around people. It's been a great few weeks with no sick days until today. During the hour I was at the shop today a customer asked to see me. I pulled myself together and went to the front. "Every time I come in here you are not here, at home, gone..." She said, just after we came to the conclusion that she and I had not seen each other in about a year. How the eff would you know when I am working or not? When I am not doing well I stay away from people as much as possible. I could have brought Tana to tears today just looking at her, and it certainly wasn't her problem. It is normal to have a no good, very bad day. It is a luxury I have to stay out of the public on some of those days. That is one benefit I have for an incredibly stressful job that pays the owner shit wages while I still pay cost for anything I buy myself and full price when I buy gifts for family and friends. It's not really about money, but money is an issue in many ways. What if the shop is successful? Is there any merit to it? Does it do anything positive for society? Does selling live king crab only the wealthy can afford? I suppose as the class of 2015 celebrated their commencement tonight I thought it's been 25 years since I graduated and how am I contributing to the community I live in and the family I am responsible for? So my quote to the senior class is "Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life."
