Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Passionate Pursuits

I’ve decided that the only way to enjoy my life is to combine business with pleasure, since the only reason I’m in business is for the pleasure of the company of those I represent. I set out this week to make the connections that will make help me succeed in my passionate pursuits.

It was a whirlwind trip, but very worth the drive. Not only did I see Susan and renew our friendship, she also agreed to sign on again on as my editor. We met many years ago at a PBS art auction, and then again in a writers’ class – both in New Orleans, before Katrina. Our friendship flourished, as did our sharing of the love of the arts and our artistic and other skills. Katrina killed both our neighborhoods, so we have had to seek new homes. We finally have a plan that will, hopefully, keep our friendship fresh no matter where we live.

In the Cincinnati area, I have a niece whose company I enjoy in the extreme. She somehow juggles her marriage and four children with a very successful career as a financial analyst at a large publishing house, all with a ready laugh and a delightful outlook on life. She managed to put clean sheets on a son’s bed for my slumber, make a pot of gumbo for me to feast on, take me along with two of her sons on a post-supper fishing expedition at a local park, and still sit down with me to discuss business.

I came away with a commitment from her to handle my business accounts. Now, we have reasons other than familial relationship to get together on a regular basis. She and her children can also come to Granny Camp this summer as an extra perk of her being my accountant.

We lost our dear neighbors, Sheila and Tom, to Katrina’s blows; they’re now in a suburb of Cincinnati. Sheila is an incredibly talented multi-discipline artist, and Tom is a retired fighter pilot and rocket scientist. Sheila was right up my alley and Tom was right up Richard’s. Losing them as neighbors was a primary reason I had no hesitation about giving up my fantasy of rebuilding on the lake.

Our first experience with Sheila was with her voice wafting over the water as she practiced her operatic arias. We’d see Tom coming and going to the glider hanger that he shared with several glider enthusiasts. As we got to know their interests, Sheila and I would share bits of our culinary creations and discuss all manner of arts and philosophy while Richard and Tom would have grand boating adventures and building projects, and bonded over shared volunteer work on the Higgins boats at the World War II Museum. I can’t even express what a great loss they were as our neighbors.

Sheila has agreed to have me help represent her visual arts. I’m so hoping that she’ll also teach some classes on her passionate pursuits. At least, we’ll now have a reason to see each other again soon.