The Shop Lives
A few months ago, I wasn’t sure what the next chapter was going to look like.
The shop where I spent years turning wrenches was sold. The future was uncertain. I was staring down the possibility of losing not just a job, but an entire way of life.
For a while, everything existed in boxes, deadlines, and questions.
Where would the tools go?
Where would the dogs go?
Where would I go?
I spent more time moving than sleeping. Every day felt like a race against a clock that never stopped ticking.
But here is the thing about hard times.
They do not care about your plans.
They do not care about your excuses.
And they certainly do not care about your fear.
You move anyway.
One trip at a time.
One box at a time.
One problem at a time.
Today I can finally say something that seemed impossible not that long ago.
The shop survived.
I secured a new location. Technically, it is a storage unit. Practically, it is a functioning repair shop. It is not the final destination. It is not the dream building. It is not the perfect setup.
But it is mine.
Every workbench, every shelf, every tool, every machine that comes through the door represents another step forward.
It is good enough to work.
Good enough to earn.
Good enough to build from.
That is all I need.
I am currently living in a friend’s garage while I continue putting the pieces back together. Some people might see that as a setback.
I don’t.
I see it as a foundation.
History is full of workshops built in barns, sheds, garages, basements, and back rooms. Great things rarely begin in perfect conditions. They begin when somebody decides to start with whatever they have available.
That is where I am now.
The future looks better than it did a few months ago.
Not because the problems disappeared.
Because there is now a path forward.
The goal is to open the doors on July 4th.
I can’t think of a better day to begin again.
Independence Day seems fitting for a man rebuilding his life, his business, and his future at the same time.
There is still work to do.
There always will be.
But for the first time in a while, the pressure of survival is beginning to give way to the work of construction.
Building.
Improving.
Growing.
And writing.
Many of you found me through the ideas behind the 24 Hard Lines, Nigredo Logic, and the books. Over the last few months, writing had to take a back seat while life demanded immediate attention.
Now that the dust is settling, I intend to write more often.
Not because life suddenly became easy.
Because difficult times produce lessons worth sharing.
The next phase begins now.
The shop lives.
The work continues.
Forward.
