Color Outside the Lines

When I was a kid, admittedly, I would never consider myself to be Ivy League college material and never thought anyone else would qualify in my family, for that matter. When I became a dad, I was very proud to have a daughter who not only graduated from UCF but was Summa cum laude in her graduating class and also two nephews who graduated with high honors at Harvard. Who would have thunk?

Most of my friends went to colleges like UMass and B.C., and I tended to party with them on weekends on or around campus, so most of their mates and acquaintances assumed I went to school there, too! (okay, the School of Hard Knocks…does that count for some type of degree that I majored in Adolescent Urban Frolicking?) 

In reality, I tended to color outside the lines, so to say, and I took the high road, being the trade route, and became a goldsmith.

Throughout my early career, I would become bored with the same routine even though at the age of twenty-two, I had my own wholesale trade business in the city of Boston’s Jeweler’s Building. It wasn’t long before I realized you will never get rich doing work for other jewelers, plus the big city commuting thing… just wasn’t my thing.

My dream was to have a successful retail shop, so I moved my shop lock, stock and barrel to the quaint and uppity seaside town I care not to mention in MA. The average income in that little town was over $80K and that was in the 1980s - today, it’s over 150K. Needless to say, it is still one of Massachusetts’ wealthiest communities. How could I lose? I came to find out most of those wealthy members of the community rarely spent a thin dime in their own beloved town. Most were world travelers who bought their clothing, shoes and jewelry in Paris or Milan anywhere but locally. One “customer” told me she bought her pearls in Tahiti. I remember sometime later, she dumped a great deal of rush jewelry work on me that required I worked several late nights to complete by the deadline, and I would actually be able to cut myself a decent paycheck for a change. Mrs. So&So sent her personal assistant to pick up her completed jewelry. When I asked how she wanted to pay, she told me to put it on “Mrs. So&So’s account!”

Account, what account? She doesn’t have an account here! “Well Richard, I never carry cash or charge cards or even a checkbook for that matter, that's how we do business here in town!”

My reply was, “Where I come from, folks pay for services rendered when completed. You come by with the payment she owes me and you can have her baubles back!”

I apparently dissed Mrs. So&So, who unknown to me, considered herself to be glorified town royalty; I got an earful on the phone about twenty minutes later. I’m still getting the lowdown on the sore subject of “Do you know who I am?” I made a feeble attempt at an apology while simultaneously looking at the several bounced checks I had accumulated in my cash draw these past weeks from several other upstanding members of “The Town’s Royal Families,” and I was still adamant that I would really like to get paid and avoid a lengthy chase for my money.

An hour later, I got payment. I’m pretty sure that was the last time we did business. Can’t imagine why. I guess I was outside the lines?

Once again, I got the feeling I was a round peg in a square hole and continued bouncing about in the business for several more years, got fed up and packed up the U-Haul … it was Florida or bust!

All the above eventually brought (drove?) me to Marco Island, where I have continued to deviate from the norm. No three-piece suits and fancy manicures here, folks, pretty much boat shoes, jeans (or shorts, weather permitting). Okay, monogrammed short-sleeved sports shirts that all go with the eclectic kind of merchandise I carry in the shop. Where else can you walk into a jewelry store where you can purchase an unusual $150 sterling silver sand dollar made in Honolulu set with beautiful blue Larimar and the person next to you at the counter is trying on a magnificent 18kt gold four-carat Ceylon Sapphire and diamond ring with matching earrings I created for the asking price of $28,00? I’m a bit out of the ordinary.

Most of my clients are far from the norm, and that’s exactly the way I like it! 

Have a Happy Halloween, and if you don’t receive the treat you wanted, come in and treat yourself!