The Winds of Change

April can be a funny month. We can go from very cold, snowy days to sunny, warm spells in a fairly short period of time. We can go from the Easter season right into Mother's Day plans and summer vacation thoughts. We can go from feeling like the year has hardly begun, to realizing the whole first quarter of it is already over. I guess we can do the same thing in March, or May, but April certainly feels like more of a transition month to me, at least here in Vermont. And what else have these "Winds of Change" brought my way? Well, last week at this time I was barely beginning my third year managing my maternity store, struggling with all the changes that February had blown my way. Still loving what I did, my customers, and my interactions with them. Yet, feeling like I was slowly loosing my grip on what was important because of the way the company looked at number standards as the only criteria that meant anything. And where am I now? Into my 2 week's notice with that company and ready to venture into a new position with a new company in a new location. Everyone thinks it is great, and so do I. I will do my best with the time I have left with maternity, but I'm still feeling like I work and work and work and can't get ahead. I guess that's because all I've done for the past 8 weeks is interviewed, hired and trained while trying to run nearly the whole store myself because no one else knows how to do it. I will only feel bad about leaving because the store is in no condition to pass it on to someone else. Most of the staff is new, dreadfully young, not a team yet at all, and they know only the basics. It will be tough, like it was when I went in there, and I think the Plattsburg manager will have to hold it up until it gets running again. But enough of early April. I shall get thru these next 10 days, and then drive my little self a mile and a half further down the road to my new assignment, dig my heels in and enjoy every minute of it. I will be managing a family owned, Vermont pewter store, down on Church street in Burlington where I can look out the windows to the open air and watch as the days go by. I know it will be good, and the winds of change are bringing sunny, warm weather my way.