It's funny how life often turns out differently from what you've
planned it to be. Ever since i was a kid i never wanted to manage our hardware
store. Ive always thought it to be too complicated and cumbersome. You had to
constantly monitor prices, run after those indebted to you and sucker up to
your suppliers. Plus it entailed a huge capital while the margin to earn was
very little - at least with the fast moving items. Ive always dreamed of
starting my own business and going my own way. But then things started
happening. Things that were beyond my control. Banco Filipino closed down and
my mom had to go away to the States. Since my two little brothers were still in
college i found myself left with my Father. There were only two of us left.
There was no one else to help him manage our family business but me. My mom had
been pleading with me for months to help dad out in the store. But i resisted.
I thought, i dont want to. I dont want to be stuck inside a store the entire
day. Thats too boring. Im a free spirit. I wanted to be out in the field conversing
with people. At first i tried to ignore it but then the guilt got to me. I
couldnt turn my back on family. It just wasnt right. That night i couldnt
sleep. I tossed and turned all night long. My thoughts were as tumultous as the
sea on a stormy night. But when dawn broke I made my decision. Family first.
The first few months were hard. I wasn't used to being enclosed in a
store all day long. But eventually I got used to it. I started to have fun. I
began to learn the tricks of the trade. Managing a hardware store, I
discovered, wasn't boring at all. In fact, it was rather challenging. And the
best part was I became closer to my dad because now we were spending at least 8
hours a day together.
It's funny how life often doesn't turn out as you expect it to. Sometimes,
just sometimes, it turns out even better.
