Leaving the Glass Shop

It finally happened and I can hardly believe it. I finally landed a new job which means finally leaving the cafe. When I started as a server I had it in mind that this would be temporary. The cafe would keep me occupied and provide some income until I found another job. Finding another job was fairly easy. Getting hired was difficult. Temporary turned into 4 years. Yet though the vision tarry it shall surely come to pass. Leaving is a bittersweet feeling. It can be overwhelming when what you’ve prayed for finally comes to pass. The past 4 years of my life changed over night.

One of my favorite books is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. If you’re not familiar with it, allow me to give you a brief synopsis. The main character is a shepherd boy named Santiago. His dream is to journey across the continents to see the pyramids in Egypt. He sells his flock to make his dream happen. Just one day into his journey he finds himself penniless and alone in a foreign country. He is hungry but has no money to buy food. He sees a glass shop and offers to polish the glass in exchange for food. Fast forward a bit, the shop owner is impressed with the boy so he decides to hire him. The boy agrees to work at the shop until he has enough money to buy more sheep and return to his life as a shepherd. The boy is smart and innovative. His ideas and work ethic quickly revive the dying shop. When the day comes for him to leave he has three options: stay at the shop, return to shepherding, or continue on the journey to see the pyramids. This is where my story picks up.

The cafe has been my own personal glass shop. It was there for me when I had no other means of earning an income. Like Santiago, I thrived at the glass shop. But also like the boy, working the the glass shop was not what I set out to do so I must go.

I’m embarking on a new stage in my journey of life. I got a job as a Project Manager at the local university. This is a completely new challenge for me but I’m up for it. I’m really enjoying it so far. It feels good to be a professional again. If this Alchemist parallel is correct, I can liken this next stage to crossing the desert. That’s kind of a scary thought if you’re familiar with the story. For Santiago, the toilsome journey through the desert turns out to be worth it. He found love and enlightenment in the dessert. My fingers are crossed.

Not only am I saying farewell to the cafe (a.k.a glass shop) I’m bringing this blog to a close. I feel like it’s time. All good things must come to an end. I finished grad school and I’m starting a new career. (Maybe I’ll start another blog called New Degree at 33.) It’s also the end of the year and the end of a decade. It’s a season of necessary endings and new beginnings. But I assure you, this is not the last you’ve heard of Colette Randall as a writer. This is only the end of the beginning. To all my followers, and my mom, thank you for supporting my work. Your views and comments made me feel validated as a writer. I also want to encourage you all to continue on your own personal journey. We all have one and it’s never too late embark on it. You just may need to take another route. With that said, I shall bid you farewell. May you never loose your Faith, sense of Adventure, or the importance of the Oxford Comma.