What would you do????
There is a show on television called "What would you do?"
It shows "uncomfortable" staged lifelike situations and wonders what you would do as a by-stander. This post is not about that.
It is about my home ...... my business .......and my life. And boundaries ---- where and if, they exist.
For the last 12 years .... I have been closed on Monday and Tuesday. This year I chose to add Wednesday to the "closed" days. I am happier, more content and business has not suffered for it.
Yesterday was Tuesday ....... it was 10:30 and I had been putting around the house in my yoga pants and tee-shirt. I fed the chickens. I canned some tomato sauce. I scrubbed the bathroom floor. I hung laundry on the line. A shower was in the plans ..... but I hadn't gotten that far and I was okay with the decision.
Pajamas felt good until two vans pulled into my lane. They were filled with parents and children. They were coming for a day on the farm.
There had been no phone calls ....... there had been no reservations. And as I make inquires, I still have yet to determine who organized the event.
In the end ... there were 9 mothers and around 18 children in my yard.
And I told them I was closed.
A very polite mother stated my sign clearly says that I am closed on Tuesdays. My webpage says ... closed Monday through Wednesday. Our Facebook page states hours of operation.
Several mothers were not happy. I felt their frustration. They drove 20 miles to be told that I was closed.
Why can't you open??
There have been times .... I have opened. I have greeted people and said, "Come on! Let's cut flowers!"
I did not do that yesterday.
The people-pleasing gene is powerful. I can feel guilty from just a disgusted glance.
And yes, I feel guilty.
Eventually, there will be a gate at the end of the lane. It will be closed when we are not at home. But I will not gate myself off from the rest of the world when I am at home!
So where are the boundaries?? And how do I enforce them without guilt or blocking myself from the rest of the world?
And how do I change the perception that I am not a park? I am a working flower farm at my home .... I welcome well-behaved children and groups. This is how I make my living. But every time you let your child roam unsupervised or climb a tree or stand on the swing ..... my insurance agent and I hyper-ventilate!!
So I am questioning myself and my actions.
What would you do??
It shows "uncomfortable" staged lifelike situations and wonders what you would do as a by-stander. This post is not about that.
It is about my home ...... my business .......and my life. And boundaries ---- where and if, they exist.
For the last 12 years .... I have been closed on Monday and Tuesday. This year I chose to add Wednesday to the "closed" days. I am happier, more content and business has not suffered for it.
Yesterday was Tuesday ....... it was 10:30 and I had been putting around the house in my yoga pants and tee-shirt. I fed the chickens. I canned some tomato sauce. I scrubbed the bathroom floor. I hung laundry on the line. A shower was in the plans ..... but I hadn't gotten that far and I was okay with the decision.
Pajamas felt good until two vans pulled into my lane. They were filled with parents and children. They were coming for a day on the farm.
There had been no phone calls ....... there had been no reservations. And as I make inquires, I still have yet to determine who organized the event.
In the end ... there were 9 mothers and around 18 children in my yard.
And I told them I was closed.
A very polite mother stated my sign clearly says that I am closed on Tuesdays. My webpage says ... closed Monday through Wednesday. Our Facebook page states hours of operation.
Several mothers were not happy. I felt their frustration. They drove 20 miles to be told that I was closed.
Why can't you open??
There have been times .... I have opened. I have greeted people and said, "Come on! Let's cut flowers!"
I did not do that yesterday.
The people-pleasing gene is powerful. I can feel guilty from just a disgusted glance.
And yes, I feel guilty.
Eventually, there will be a gate at the end of the lane. It will be closed when we are not at home. But I will not gate myself off from the rest of the world when I am at home!
So where are the boundaries?? And how do I enforce them without guilt or blocking myself from the rest of the world?
And how do I change the perception that I am not a park? I am a working flower farm at my home .... I welcome well-behaved children and groups. This is how I make my living. But every time you let your child roam unsupervised or climb a tree or stand on the swing ..... my insurance agent and I hyper-ventilate!!
So I am questioning myself and my actions.
What would you do??
Comments
I must admit, there are times where i've looked at the real sign rather than look on Da Web or fb. Which is why i sometimes find places closed that i think should be open or vice-versa.