Bitter Feelings

BITTER FEELINGS
by: Matthew Terry

We're selling a bookshelf/cabinet type piece of furniture. This isn't an ad for that. In fact, it's probably no longer available while I write this. In another fact, the fact that in fact it's no longer available brings me to the fact I'm trying to cover. Someone sent me a message asking if it was still available and that they could pick it up at my convenience. Here's my response.
Yes, it is still available.

As far as convenience, if you'd like it today, I will check with the availability of my wife. She's on vacation while I go to work (Yes, a little bitter). Tomorrow, we can do it anytime after seven. Keep in mind, it's not light. Happy to help move it out, but may need help.

-Cheers
So, now may be a good time to explore the bitter feelings that I seem to have about my wife being on vacation while I find myself at work. Keep in mind, I'm not bitter with my wife. Hopefully that becomes clear as you read.

My wife works for the YMCA of Niagara. She's a Child and Youth Specialist. I call her a very glorified babysitter. I say that, we laugh (I laugh). She watches children all day at a daycare. A very good daycare with a very good program to help educate and help develop children. She is also very good at her job. She has a very good education and has a very good reputation within her field. So, bottom line, my wife is a very good employee for a very good employer. As I already suggested, she gets vacation time. Well deserved vacation time.

I, on the other hand, own my own business. Well, we own our own business. Okay, in the interest of full disclosure, there are five of us that actually "own" the business. I don't anyone misinterpruting my statement. That being said, for better or for worse, I am the business. I am the guy that runs the business, negotiates for the business, works every signle aspect on every single day. Literally, every single day. We have owned this business for close to four and a half years and I have been here every single day the open sign has been illuminated. Yet, I do not get vacation time.

See why I'm bitter. I'm not bitter at any one person. Just the fact that the time is not available, the circustances don;t allow it and frankly, the finances won't allow it. For me to take a vacation, I would need to close the store. Thankfully, our business never experiences a true down time. There is no point where we would not busy and therefore, may as well take some time for myself. My partners know little things here and there about the store, but not nearly enough to manage it for a week. And to be totally honest, the store needs to remain open to pay the bills.

Someone once told me that the reward to owning your own business is that your time will come when your older and can reep the rewards that you have built over three or four decades. The problem with that is, with inflation, Cuba won't be getting any cheaper. I've beaten my body up over the years already and I'd hate to see what a 65-70 year old Matthew Terry will be looking like. And most of all, I have a hot wife that I want to show off now, not later.

Shin Kicker says take the Q-Tip out of your ear.