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May 05, 2020
Sometimes, you find yourself in the middle of nowhere.
Wow, what crazy and historical times we are living in. No clue where things are going, I do know things won't be the same. Nor should they be. Our gallery (I am Rt 66 Visitor Center and Gallery) closed a week or two before we were required to. Penny Clark (the actual owner) and my self both have family members who are in the vulnerable group. Not only that but our business died off as travelers began staying home.
Sometimes, you find yourself, in the middle of nowhere.
We had been aiming toward a Grand Opening on March 16th. We had an incredible art exhibit lined out, music, food the whole nine yards. We were working hard on the uncompleted side of our place. You see not only are we a Gallery with some amazing artists from all over the United States, but we are a Route 66 Visitor Center.
The best laid plans of mice and men... We are taking the down time to seriously polish out the Visitor Center. Big maps, stories, old photos and so forth. I have been doing a ton of graphic work while our handy man extraordinaire has been working to get the display cases, frames and what not in place. Every time I walk into the place I am more and more excited. Being closed allowed us to tear things apart and make a proper mess while we are building. Had we been open we would not have gotten half of the plans done.
During the down time, I was able to stand back and think. So much came at me in 2019 and first months of 2020. I faced more opportunities and challenges in 2019 than in the 10 years prior.
In 2019 we faced serious health issues for June (my sweetie) and I and the resulting financial crisis. Still, I was still able to travel all of Route 66 with the help of friends, not once but several times over and gather enough material for several books. The opportunity came along to help open a gallery which would house my work permanently along with other amazing artists AND showcase Texas's Route 66. Those and about 15 other major challenges and opportunities...
I felt a bit like a juggler who was having pins thrown into the circle of things being juggled. I had no time to figure out if it was something good or not and so I just kept Juggling and some of pins got dropped. Most of them stayed in the air. But in retrospect, I didn't need to be juggling all of them, some should have waited.
A single coma makes all the difference. One small detail totally changes the meaning.
I slowed enough to focus on a few things rather juggling so many. In the middle of all this mess I found parts of myself that had been missing and was able to focus back on simple. Meals with June, focused on just us. Holding hands while we watch a movie uninterrupted by business calls. Phone calls to friends and family I have forgotten to tell I love them for no other reason to tell them I was thinking of them.
I focused on working on my book, getting a lot written. To be able to see it come into being is exciting and having a clearer vision of what it means to me, I needed quiet to think.
I could go on, but I think many of you might feel the same way. Life was going to fast, too fast for me to even adequately judge what was important. I just handled what was thrown at me.
There are a lot of things I still need to finish. A lot that needs focus. I am excited about the Gallery opening back up. No this is not the announcement of a date. We have not set one, though it is getting closer. We want the place polished out nicely for our Route 66 travelers.
So what do hot air balloons from the Balloon Fiesta have to do with any of this?
Like a balloon on the ground deflated, its hard to see what it is really. And when you are in a balloon you are at the chance of nature. All you can do really is take advantage of the winds nature provides. And if it is too stormy, some times you have to land, deflate and wait till better weather.
I am Rt 66 Visitor Center and Gallery is on the ground right now and we are waiting for favorable winds to re-open.
We got big things coming. We might be grounded now, but wait till you see this thing take off!
June and I, Penny and Brandon at the Visiter Center and Gallery are hoping and praying for you and your families well being and that you not only survive all this but come out better and more focused on what really matters.
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