Bronze Nude
Face-Value Business is Not For Me by Dawn Wilson
Travel is my passion and I have worked hard to keep my passion fulfilled. This world is a big place still and I have much further to go to say I have actually tackled some of it. Evaluating the places I have seen, toured and stayed, I have come up with two categories: The Glittering Face-Value Attractions and The Bronze Earthy Wonders.
As one walks or rides through Las Vegas, you are instantly aware of how unfathomable amounts of cash have been poured out to make the strip a glittering palasaid of wonders and temptations. You cannot help but marvel at the sights, the lights and the heights. Any food imaginable is at your fingertips assuming, of course, you have some serious spending money. Shopping is high-end yet made so alluring, it is easy to lose yourself just window shopping. The bells and whistles going off promise big winnings to those who stop in and play.
Have you ever vacationed in the Caribbean? The luxury resorts line the coast with their winding pools and tiki huts galore inviting the sunbather to take a break from the blaring sun. The marble entries and bathrooms large enough to live in, spacious rooms with large windows looking out over the palm trees, restaurants and pool bars, beckon the vacationer to live a life of privilege if only for a week. Busy staff constantly work to keep every bush trimmed, every flower blooming and the grass watered and neatly cut. Uniformed maids and bellboys shyly say hello as they hurry about their business of taking care of the foreigners blessing them with their money.
Behind the scenes of these glittering lights and gleaming pools, there is a world that is rarely seen. Movies have been made about the seedier side of Las Vegas, but what caught my eye was the poor woman still sitting at a machine throwing in her quarters at 6:00 a.m. hoping beyond hope that she was going to at least get her money back. I noticed as low-paid foreign workers pushed their nude women cards into any male’s hands who was over ten years of age. I talked with the waitress at a high-priced restaurant who said she could never afford to eat where she worked.
On an unplanned detour in the Dominican, a road which paralleled the main route, we saw the destitute, dirty, naked children playing in the mud in front of their lean-to shacks that they lived in after we just passed machine gun armed guards in front of a large gaited house. I spoke in my broken Spanglish to the young boy about my Painted Ceramic at 11:00 p.m. while he excitedly told me it was done and beautiful while he waited for the bus to take him home. Happily, he told me he would see me at 9:00 a.m. in the morning because he couldn’t wait for me to see the finished product. In Jamaica, the armed guards would not allow people to leave the resort beach area, nor allow others in by land, as men in boats with limits on how close they could get offered to sell drugs to the swimmers. There is an entirely different world just a street or two away from the shining face of the Caribbean.
On the other hand, our stops in small towns and large cities meeting locals who have given us good advice, directions and even walked us to where we needed to be have revived our hope that not all the world has given in to such extremes. We have been pleasantly surprised at the kindly bed and breakfast owners and enjoyed conversations with Amish, Canadians, Floridians and Californians. We have found museums, shows, good diners and restaurants by word of mouth, hidden jewels in towns that only locals really know about. The people are real. There is no scary underside or opposite life on the backstreet. People are generally decent for the sake of being raised to be decent and you feel just as at home on their porch as you would your friend’s at home.
I liken these principles to the kind of business I want to run. The showy lights and face-value beauty of some entrepreneurs can definitely get them some attention. They will make sales, but not many will return as they see that the value is not very deep. Being all about the attraction and not about the service after the money has been paid will not lead to repeat business or referrals. In fact, many will windowshop, but pass by the merchandise knowing that it is out of their league.
I want to be known as someone whose values are still intact, someone who goes the extra mile and can be trusted. Preferring to be known as someone whose word matters and is the same with each person means far more to me than making noises to simply be seen. Like those calm journeys in places of integrity that have made an indelible mark in my memories, I want my business to be one that creates friendships, true teammates and leaves a mark in people’s minds that this is something different. This is someONE different whom I can believe, trust and travel the entrepreneurship road alongside.
The luxury vacations are wonderful, but when you come home reality sets back in and you realize how fleeting that week was. Go to a town a couple miles away known for a good bronze medal, mom and pop restaurant and talk with the people and it will become something consistent and reassuring. They may even know your name or save you a table because you will return! You will remember their salt-of-the-earth, gracious hospitality, their warm smiles and the good food – AND you will tell others about it too.
Businesswoman, Friend, and Team player Dawn Wilson assists Women to be success stories and inspiration to others. The fact that you are investigating the home-based business industry is a sign that you have dreams and trust in those dreams. Let me assist you: go to my website and register for the FR.EE newsletter and receive a copy of the FR.EE “Building Business Report”.Visit: Be a BraveHeart Woman
About the Author
Businesswoman, and Team player Angie Taylor assists Women to be success stories and inspiration to others. The fact that you are investigating the home-based business industry is a sign that you have dreams and trust in those dreams. Go to my website and register for the FR.EE newsletter and receive a copy of the FR.EE “Building Business Report”.Visit: <a target=”_new” href=”http://BraveHeartWomen.com/landbou
Subtle Bronze Eyes and Nude Lips
This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 25th, 2012 at 5:15 pm and is filed under Decorative Art. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.