What if…
Photo by Tanya Trofymchuk on Unsplash
I recently read an article about the founder of beauty brand Ktisch, Cassandra Morales Thurswell. I was intrigued by Inc. Magazine’s headline, “How This Founder Built an $87 Million Brand from a Single Perfect Hair Tie” and not far into the article her story stirred up emotions within me. Cassandra spoke of her stepfather being an orthodontist and how he used to pay her to make retainers for him. Wait, what? Yes, her exposure to working with fine metals and acrylics paved the way for her current love and career. Why was this so emotional for me? My dad is dental technologist by trade and also taught this trade at our local junior college. An expert. I spent countless days as a kid in my father’s “lab” sitting under his work bench watching him work. When my father remarried, he made he and my mom’s wedding rings. He made custom rings and fixed broken jewelry for friends and family. We were always in his lab talking to him while he worked and we…just…looked.
My point is this, we are so consumed with raising kids to go to college we often forget to raise them in trade skills that will personally benefit them and/or become their life’s passion. The “what if’s” are certainly running through my mind: “What if I had asked him to show my how to do what he was doing.” Yet, I know I am exactly where I am supposed to be. But what if we begin teaching younger generations the skills and trades we have obtained? What if, young friends, you all begin paying just a little more attention to the talents of older generations? Think about how many brands, businesses, and/or personal passions we may create in this world if we just “do.”
Even today, at 80 years old, my dad still works in his lab. Each time I travel home, I wake up every morning, go downstairs to the lab (where I can always find him) and have a conversation while he works. His lab has expanded to include an embroidery and screen print shop. I’m now looking at this differently. On my next trip home, as we sit in his lab, I’m going to start making our time together a creatively educational visit.
