It’s the first day of Christmas… oh wait. That’s not what this is about. It’s about gratitude. I have a lot to be grateful for this year. Or rather, the year and a half that I have been following the wind with WeatherVane. I am thinking that 31 days won’t be enough even. But let’s start with Day 1.
Day 1
I want to start at the beginning of the seed of WeatherVane. So, I am grateful for the ability to wonder what it would be like to start a business and what kind of business it would be. Or should I start with getting fired at Duck Delivery in Portland, OR back in March of 2011? Should I be grateful for that? *sigh* Yes, let’s start there.
Oooh this one is a wee bit touchy. I often am confronted by how much I should tell people about this. Especially on an online forum. How about this- this is what I put on job applications when it asks the question “Have you ever been involuntarily terminated? If so, explain”: “Oregon is an at-will employment state. The owner of Duck Delivery Produce exercised his right. My supervisor had no idea I was to be fired and was surprised. It was not performance or policy based.” The more detailed explanation has to wait for my tell-all biography or made-for-tv movie. It definitely has to be reviewed by my publicist and legal team.
So, to be grateful for this… that really takes something for me sometimes. And I remember a conversation that I had with my friend Gary shortly after. I think it was a frustrating one for him. He kept pestering me to tell him what my dream was. And I had no idea what he was talking about. I didn’t even know where to start. And there were a few people who even had the audacity to tell me how wonderful it was that I could now “create my life” and “how perfect” it was. I had some choice responses that I only had the balls to say in jest. It took a few dazed weeks, more endings, and a life-changing weekend in San Francisco for me to shake it off and understand what everyone was talking about in a way that was beyond a concept. And I started to dream and create.
My original plan was to go back to Wisconsin to the people who loved me unconditionally (my family). I had this idea that I could possibly start a coffee shop in River Falls, the town I had fallen in love with in college. Last time I was there, there were a few coffee shops, but none really doing what I had thought was a “good job”. And so here I was ten years later with my Starbucks, other food service experience, and the “worldliness” of living in two major metropolitan areas under my belt. I thought it was time to shine as a big fish in a small pond with all my street cred. I failed to see lack of funds as an issue for some reason. I think I was in the “dream and create” haze of optimism that probably plagues all pioneers, trailblazers, and many an entrepreneur. In fact, I think it’s part of the initiation process. So, I rented a van, packed up my stuff, and headed back to River Falls with not much more than the dream.
I am trying to think of a way to explain exactly what I am grateful for here. It’s kind of like when I was a resident assistant in college. At the end of it, I loved it and was grateful for the experience but I would NEVER do that job again. And I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, either. But I am a better person and grateful that I did it. There should be a name for that. A category. Because I have many other things that would fall nicely in it, too.
And that is how I feel about the catalyst of losing my job that fateful day in Portland.
Nice work doing your blog on a regular basis. As usual you are my inspiration and I see it is okay to write my own blog. I’m interested in what you write and of course, somebody will be interested in what I write. Didn’t even admit to myself that the concern existed that I’d look foolish if I did my own blog. I’d look foolish if no one read it. Hmm, interesting. If no one read it how would they know to think anything about me?
I’m interested in naming that category of reluctant/grudging gratitude events too. I’ve had plenty.