The Big Swing

The season has changed.  Winter is here in full force with winds out of the northeast strong enough to blow garbage cans down the snow packed street.  The temperature is in the single digits this morning.  I feel like I'm being blown away too.  It's time to head for the warmth and familiarity of my Florida home, the sand hill cranes, the bald eagles, the live oaks trees, and the sound and smell of the wind coming off the lake rustling through the chalky broomsedge.

I look forward to being in Florida for a while.  I'm very happy to be out of retail.  I've learned some hard lessons that I plan to take with me on my new path.  I know now that you can't make everyone happy and you drive yourself crazy if you try.  So, I'm done.  Next Spring when the snow melts, I'll be spending every Saturday with my family or going on long bicycle rides rather than standing on my feet for 12 hours of retail stress pulling myself in three different directions at once.

I say this, but last night I was working on a customer's bike in the living room and delivering it to his house so he could have it to get to work this morning.  "How much?"  Don't worry about it, I said.  I still care about what the customers say and feel.  So, yes, there will be bicycle repair to do in the spring.  There will be plenty of debts to collect.  There will be plenty of "full of myself" advice to give.