One of my family's favorite movies is Joe Vs. the Volcano with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. We were pretty sure the reason it was a flop was because people just weren't as intelligent as we were. (That's a joke.) I really do feel, though, that it is a great allegory on life. Forgive me, but, it is such an old movie, I don't feel bad giving the end away. Naturally, Joe and Meg's character (sorry I don't remember her character's name) fall in love. Joe, set to be sacrificed to the gods, readies himself for his big jump into the volcano. Meg wants to marry him before he jumps. The two have a quickie wedding and the loving wife she is, decides to take the leap with him. With eyes closed they jump in and low an behold the volcano spits them out into the ocean, the island sinks into the sea and Joe's seemingly indestructible travel trunks pot up to save the day. Joe and his true love get them hooked together and climb aboard. As they snuggle on the trusty luggage, (it must be Louis Vuitton) Meg can't believe how lucky they are, and admires the luster of the full moon. Joe, the more pessimistic of the two, points out that while the moon is lovely and it was indeed fortunate that the luggage appeared they were, after all, stranded in the middle of the ocean. Meg, the more optimistic, simply said, "It's always going to be something with you, isn't it Joe."
The best way I know to start something is to jump right in. Motherhood is probably the best example. Once you are in, there is no way out. You can't be a little pregnant. You either are or you're not. The wedding day is definitely a leap into the unknown. As a woman, marriage and children tend to come fairly naturally. Both are difficult, exasperating, rewarding, wonderful and worth every minute of heartache and joy they bring, and as women we, or I anyway, anticipate both marriage and children being in our lives.
Other leaps into the unknown may not come as naturally. As a mother it is very easy to become lost in our children. I know for myself, motherhood was a great excuse to become lost. Don't get me wrong, nothing and I mean nothing means more to me than my children, husband or my immanent grand daughter Maggie. What I am trying to say is the nurturing, while it is the most important thing I do, it is not the only thing I can do. Lucky for me, Dewey (my husband) knew this before I did. He helped me jump.
As Megan, my eldest daughter, and I were in the midst of planning her wedding Dewey drove me to a little adobe house for lease. He thought it would make the perfect little gallery and gift shop for me. As my kids were getting older and flying the coup he wisely realized something of my own would be good for me, and he had confidence I could succeed. Had he realized the the tiny snowball that he started a'rollin down that adorable bunny slope was actually going to make it's way down Mount Everest, he may have thought at least twice before leasing the space for me. What Dewey envisioned as a nice little place for me to paint and sell the occasional print or trinket turned into much more than he or I ever bargained for, but he has supported me the whole way. (So far anyway. I don't expect him to quit supporting me, but I am far from the final destination and I can only suppose he will continue. That's not really true, after twenty five years, I know he will.) Dewey's mistake was thinking that the little vanity project he surprised me with would stay little. He knows small isn't my thing, but he always holds out hope. When I start something it becomes completely overwhelming and all consuming and that is what this jump into the volcano has become, but in a good way.
Kaleidoscope Eclectic Boutique was conceived in July of 2006. It was born March 31, 2007 when we opened our doors, not in the little adobe house but, in a high end outdoor shopping center in Utah Valley. What began as a little independent gallery turned into a women's boutique that specializes in independent designer fashion, handbags, shoes, jewelry, my paintings and my husband's photography. Considering I had no idea what I was doing, the first year went great. The second year, not so. The economic downturn hasn't been kind to retail. Especially in Utah County where Kaleidoscope is. I am not going to let this get me down though. I have decided to look at Kaleidoscope like raising another child, or making a marriage work. Both have good and not so good fazes. Kaleidoscope is just in a not so good one for the moment.
So what to do? Close? Give up? No. KEEP GOING!!! After doing all kinds of research, blindly I might add, Kaleidoscope is growing up. We are designing our own dress line, creating a great interactive community website and are re branding. I have found the help I need to do all of it. All I had to do was keep at it. Is it done yet? No. Will it get done? I hope so. I am confident that it will. Do I know for certain sure? No. Does that matter? No. Have I ever designed dresses before? No. Did Chanel know how to sew? No. did she go to design school? No. Did she change the entire world of couture fashion? Yes. Does she have anything I don't have? Absolutely not!!!
Just jump. Start the journey. Change course along the way if need be, but keep going. Enjoy the ride, stamp your passport along the way, and where ever the journey ends, if you did your best and stayed true to yourself and your values, your final destination will be beautiful. Lessons will be learned, opportunities taken, and glorious unimaginable things accomplished. Whether you succeed or fail, take the leap, don't look back. Live. You can do it.
That's all until...
