Why?

When you visit the post office in our small, small town, you are recognized.  It goes with the territory.  In a town of 5000 people, the postmaster and anyone else knows you, your family, your address, your frequent mailings from businesses and a lot of other details.  The same 2 people have dropped off my mail for the last 30 years.  As I visited the post office earlier this week, the person behind the counter asked about the packages I was mailing and how things were going at the shop and then asked the question that has been asked a thousand times. 

"Why did you start a business?"

I don't know.

Did I want to be a fantastic knitter?  Did my grandma instill a love of knitting?  Do I really love yarn?

Maybe to all of those things, but...  I wanted to do something really different and way out of my comfort zone.  When your reach a milestone birthday, sometimes things shift.  There are flashes of things to look back on and anxiety of how the future will unfold.  There is the realization that many, many people never reach the milestone you are facing and enjoying.  All of those things happened that summer. 

Someone I thought I would know and grow to have other adventures with passed away suddenly.  My oldest kids were leaving the nest.  A career that had been exciting for decades was too easy. It was time to do something else and starting a business was a really logical choice at the time. 

Starting a business is a lot like falling off a cliff or sky diving or downhill racing.  The first two activities I can only imagine.  The third I have done, but not well.  You prepare with skills and equipment.  You talk to others who have done it.  You get your nerves together and then there is start day where it's either "do" or "do not".  The right shop front, the money and the right people came together at the right time and a shop was begun. I didn't know what it took to run a business prior to this.  I learned by reading and doing.   Six and a half years later, I am still learning and doing.  That is my "Why".  I need something really challenging to do and learn about.   If it ever becomes easy I will do something else.

Visit the shop online at juliayarnshoppe. com
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Tell me what your thoughts in the comments.