Work

I love to work. I know, not a popular concept. I almost always have had jobs that I liked and some that I loved. I come from generations of people with strong work ethics. My Grandfather was an entrepreneur. He started his own gas station (ESSO) and general store in West Virginia. He expanded to appliances and then TVs. My father is a Baptist Minister. Always employed by a church, but essentially on his own to get the job done. My mother always worked. I really did not know that women stayed home after they got married!
 I wanted always to be a nurse.  It was never a decision, it just was. I went straight to nursing school after high school. I trained for CCU because I figured I could travel more if I had a specialty. It worked, I got a job anywhere I went without a problem. I think it was a wonderful way to learn how to deal with people and problems. It gave me a wonderful basis for being in a business that deals with the public.
I started to realize when I was 21 that I was a business looking for a place to happen. I sold everything to my friends. I sold memberships in  a record club so I could get free cassettes. I wrote a cookbook, put it together myself and sold out twice. I made costume jewelry and sold it. I crocheted hats and afghans.  I sold jojoba oil that I bottled myself.... you get the picture. 
I took accounting classes. I knew I could succeed in something.
 Then, I met Robert. The rest is history. He has the talent, I love business. A match made in heaven in so many ways. We  ate, slept, and breathed business. It has been our life for over 30 years. I am constantly amazed at how much I like to work and how well we work together. We have always been willing to "hold hands and jump off a cliff"!
We are both workaholics. We have tried very hard not to be consumed by it. Our children started working in the store when they were 3 and 5. They continued as long as they lived at home. They have not always loved the fact that they were born to workaholic parents, but they both are hard workers (high praise, in our family).
Don't get me wrong, I love to play, up to a point. I can't just do nothing, unless I am "trapped" on a cruise ship and even then, I find ways to keep busy.
I understood, early in life, that I had no artistic talents. I knew I was a creative problem solver and that I loved math, especially algebra. I think I would have succeeded earlier in business if women had been more liberated. My mother was a secretary all of her life. That often meant doing the boss's work for no recognition and a lot less pay. Women were not encouraged to own a business or even to manage one.  I watched her and learned. She wore pants to work! She was liberated for her day and is still very liberal in her approach to life.
 I don't have any kind of clear understanding of people who don't work. We have extended family members and friends who have always found ways not to work. It is a real test for me not to judge them harshly. On the other hand., I am a workaholic.........
 All of my jobs have had difficult days, but on the whole, I am really happy with what I do. If I had to choose again, I would have gone into business earlier.
Why am I writing about work? Today was a really busy day. It was exhilarating. I thought today how much I love my job and how blessed I am to have it.
 Of course, all of this is probably because I am the boss and it is all about CONTROL!!!