What if?

Sometimes you build castles in the sky for their own sake.  And then you look at them and realize they're so top-heavy they'd never stand.

This happens when I'm in a downtown area and see a vacant storefront, especially one of the older storefronts with the display windows and recessed entryway.  The mind boggles!  Why, think of all the things we could do.  In my mind's eye, it would become a different kind of store.  We'd have books, of course, all kinds of new and used books.  And hubby would be in charge of our hobby department.  Near the back would be my department dealing in gadgetry: cameras, typewriters, old telephones and so on.  I'd have my workbench at the back of the store; it would be dimly lit back there, and I'd have a swing-arm lamp over the workbench, just like every classic concept of a workbench you can imagine.  (And nearby would be my office, from which I'd run my media consulting firm.)

Of course, to make a million dollars doing this, we'd have to start off with about a hundred million dollars.  Because our concept of the perfect little store is so idiosyncratic, there's no way we'd ever turn a profit.  Maybe in a huge city where these types of little shops can find an audience, we'd stand a chance, but certainly not in a small town.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the sound of a castle in the sky collapsing on itself.  Thank you.

Comments

[Warren]

Although to be fair, "Hubby's Hobbies" would be a pretty cool name for a store like you suggest. Or a sex shop.

[Tania]

Remember you need one wall of the shop in shelved glass display cabinets where all finished projects can be displayed for the wonderment of mere mortals!