Second Chances
By Jim Sollecito
For me, starting year No. 51 in business is all about making myriad judgment calls.
Inspect a plant, consider its value, conclude whether it should be tossed and replaced. After all, life is too short to have less-than-great plants in your landscape.
Then decide what to replace in that space. Will it thrive or merely survive?
Sifting through my mail, I came upon a letter that actually stunned me. Somebody from my distant past had taken something from me without paying. That does happen in the garden center industry. It’s called shrinkage.
Well, after a lot of years, this person did not shrink away from owning up to an ill-gotten past deed and sent what they felt was a fair reimbursement. They carefully concealed their identity and address, signing the untraceable money order “John Smith.”
I inferred by the shaky handwriting that this person had some years on them or maybe an ailment that impacted their penmanship. They may be closer to the fourth quarter than the coin-toss.
I was literally stopped in my tracks. The fact that someone actually remembered this deed meant it bothered them, quite possibly for years and now was the time to make amends for a past transgression.
I pondered what to do with the check, deciding to cash it and donate it to the Food Bank. After all, we are all feeding each other in one form or another.
And, yes, of course this then brought to my mind a number of things I have done over the years that do not make me proud.
Some things that sadly I cannot take back. And others that I still can do something about.
So I will. There is no time like spring to take a fresh look, inside and out. Life is ironic. It takes noise to appreciate silence. And someone else pointing to their flaws to shine the light on my own.
As more growth rings are added to my own tree, I am pleasantly reminded every now and again that every saint has a past; every sinner has a future. Even as their flower fades.
Thank you, whoever you are.
Your inspirational act of reparation has made a difference in me. Life runs on fast legs. Thanks for slowing me down.
Jim Sollecito is the first lifetime senior certified landscape professional in New York State. He operates Sollecito Landscaping Nursery in Syracuse. Contact him at 315-468-1142 or jim@sollecito.com.