A
long time ago when I was about 12, I recall my parents had made a
decision to start their own business. Looking back now, I realize of
course just how young they actually were. My father was a skilled carpet
layer who was taught the trade by his father before him, who had made a
fortune on it in the 40's. But that's another tale.
The
business started off well-enough I suppose. I hardly saw them
anymore... especially my father who was constantly working. Eventually
the business grew from a room in an apartment to a 'CostCo-sized'
warehouse where bales and bales of carpeting arrived daily. Soon my dad
hired men to help him, but these so called 'helpers' just took advantage
of their hourly wages by sitting around wasting time instead of being
paid by the job. This was their first mistake.
Others
included hiring family to 'do the books' which proved catastrophic when
they were audited. So while my poor father was working to the bone,
coming in late and tired with crippled knees and calloused hands, there
was trouble brewing in the front office. Then it happened, a call came
late one night from the police, who had said the warehouse was broken
into and most of the carpeting for the next week's jobs were gone. They
never did figure out who it was.
Then
there came a knock on the door and a large, burly man asked me for the
keys for my mother's car. He didn't take no for an answer, and despite
my best efforts within 5 minutes my mom's car was gone. Eventually they
lost their business.
I never actually saw my father cry, but I heard him one night. It was the worst sound I ever heard...----
Since then, I was haunted by the sadness of closing businesses...
It was almost nightfall, on a cold, rainy night. Up ahead just off Taunton Rd was a sign which read, "Maple Lane Nurseries". Normally I would have kept going, but I was compelled to stop and take a closer look.
The
picture I took of the cable fence, which I call, 'lockout' is symbolic
(this would come to be my favorite of all the shots taken here). I
slowly moved my way in setting up my tripod, and my bracketing settings
on the camera. This I knew would be crucial for the HDR settings I had
already decided to use on this collection of shots. One by one, I saw
the gloom, and the ruins of broken dreams. From the broken windows and
empty cash registers to the doorways swung open letting out the ghosts
of dreams gone by.
Such
beautiful things here, even in the chaotic ruins, I could imagine
seeing the sun shining down on kept lawns, adorned with potted plants
and immaculate greenhouses filled with flora of every imaginable color.
As
I made my way around the back of one of the sheds, I saw a broken
shed-like dwelling. The wild flowers over-powered the front lawn and
the bike that lay on its side brought memories back of when I was a
child. You know when businesses fail, it isn't just about the money.
It affects everyone in the family. It can leave an impact on the kids
too. Everyone loses.
It took me a while before I decided to do something with these pictures, but I've decided to devote a blog in honor of my dad who worked his whole life for us, and even though he may think that he never quite made it there, in my mind and heart he taught me so much more than money can buy.
