DESTINY

This week's Writer's Post Blog Hop is hosted by Suzy at Someday Somewhere

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And here is my take on this one....


What is her destiny? She sits and she thinks and she allows a dream or two to jump in and float around inside her mind. It's fun to dream a bit about how her life might be one day. It's fun, but it's not productive. Those who know her, know productive is important. There is little sense in doing anything if nothing is to be achieved by doing so. Will it make her money? Will it add to her knowledge bank? Will it give her a new contact? If it adds nothing to any of those areas, there is probably no need to go forward. Still, now and then she does indulge in a fit of dreaming.

The job she covets is the buyer for a local fashion forward ladies clothier. She holds a graduate degree in fashion design and is currently working as a designer for a smaller family owned ladies fashion store in a nearby town.  It isn't what she wants. She isn't fulfilled, but her bills are being paid and her work is adored by the shoppers and the store owners. They value her talent, her personality and her loyalty. That's the problem. They value her loyalty. Truth is, she doesn't feel any loyalty. She wants the BIG job and they don't even have a buyer. One of the owners of the shop goes to the fashion shows. Makes notes and sketches and returns to her to make them her own and consequently, unique designs from this shop only. They make a fortune on her back and she is compensated at what she feels is a pittance. For a larger business or working for a designer, she would make double or maybe triple what she is making, but she has total freedom here and her work is always turned into reality.  They do NOT reject her work, EVER. In the fashion world, that is not normal and she would be throwing away as many designs as she sees completed.

In her dreams she is that buyer who goes to the shows. Admires the designers work and knows quality over trendy crap and makes excellent decisions for her employers and everyone makes big bucks. She dresses in the latest styles 24/7 and she always knows what's 'in' and what's 'out'. Her dream life is a much more luxurious existence and there is no time for romance or friendships. Her nature is that of a loner and with such an exciting and glamorous position, she would relish her down time.

Today she will go to the office in the back of the shop and create another three to five pieces to mix and match with the pants and skirts she had designed yesterday. Tomorrow she would choose the fabrics for each and then send them off to the seamstresses to await their initial offerings.

This is her life. Every two to three days, she designs. She selects the fabrics and they sew. She inspects, makes changes and they sew and she inspects. Usually they don't have a third round, but it has happened. Generally, the pieces will end up on the floor within a month of her sketches first appearance. It's an amazingly fast turn around and unheard of in the fashion industry.

Her real life is so good and so satisfying, but that dream feels like her destiny. She really never wanted to be a designer, though she is very good at it. Her destiny has always been at the shows, seeing, judging, deciding and placing orders for ladies of a certain financial health. Ladies who want one of a kind dresses. One of a kind everything would fill their closets and her destiny was surely to make those selections for ladies who don't even know what they like until someone like her tells them.

And then...

The owner of her shop came into the office where she designs. Sitting on the stool just adjacent to the drawing board, THE offer came to her. "Would you consider making a change? I mean is designing what you want to do with the rest of your life?"

"Hell, no!", her heart cried, but her mouth said, "Well, that would depend on the change." Heart beating out of her chest, fearing this might not be good news at all, praying it was.

"We just finished up a big meeting. The board has decided to step up our business in a big way. It's time for us to stop sewing and start buying, but, and this is a big but, only if YOU would be interested in taking the lead on the change over."

Oh, my gosh! Could she have heard this correctly? They want her to buy for THEM? Was destiny knocking? Was the fancy dancy store out of her equation? What to do?

"May I give it some thought? I would like to either see your plan or if there isn't one, work on one myself. I would need to have much more information to make this decision, but I am most definitely interested in pursuing the idea. Is that okay?" She was hardly breathing. Her heart was pounding so loudly it was difficult to form a clear thought, but she felt it, oh, she felt the destiny bell ringing in her head. Yes, she would be taking this idea and she would be elevating her shop to a clothier of distinction and also elevating her own status in life both professionally and financially.  They would not get this experienced designer/buyer cheaply and she already knew they knew that.

"The plan is yours to create. We all bow to your expertise in this area and when you have completed it, you will present it to the board along with your compensation requirements and then we'll put it in motion; if it's acceptable, we're in the business of buying and retailing couture clothing. And YOU are the head buyer. We will be moving our sewers into new positions of merchandising and sales. No job losses and we will also be carrying "rack" clothing, which you will also buy from wholesalers."

Destiny has indeed called her to answer. "YES" she said a little too loudly. "I'll start working on the business plan tomorrow. Now, I'd like very much to take the rest of today off. I have a lot of processing to do and the designs for the seamstresses are done and ready for them to begin. We will need this line to fill until I can actually do some buying. Is that okay?"

Laughter, "It is fine. In fact, I will not be setting your hours nor your schedule from this moment forward. YOU are in control of your position. You will do what you need to do to get the job done. I would ask only that you give me a calendar each month with your schedule. That's it. I will not be changing or judging your schedule, just want to be aware of what you are doing and where you are doing it." She rose from her stool and turned to leave the room. Over her shoulder she added, "I am so happy we are finally in this position and it's all because of the hard work you have done for us these past 3 years. Thank you and congratulations. You've earned this."

The silence in the office was unbearable. She needed to get air. She needed to walk and accept this whole change and believe it was real. Destiny. Finally. Peace. Contentment. Not even a moment of hesitation.

Jo