We've been waiting for you, Mr. Rooney!

Quite a few months ago, I picked up an estate piece, a gorgeous handmade wall plaque chronicalling the history and genology of the name "Rooney" It was done in water-color, with hand-done calligraphy, matted and custom framed. I was unable to research the artist, as I could not read the signature, but this piece was so beautiful, so I puchased it and put it in the shop, waiting for someone named "Rooney" to fall in love with it. But time passed, and there were no takers.

While time passed, the economy continues to be weak, the weather continues to be awful, and customers are harder to come by. Small business owners in this climate have to work harder than they have ever worked, pinch pennies thinner, and go distances for customers they might not have ever dreamed of going in better times. Like many of them, there have been days when I wonder to myself if pursuing a dream was worth the extra work and sleepless nights it now entails...and envision the alternative in my mind. While I didn't vocalize these silent considerations until now, they became more and more freqent.

Well, yesterday a customer came rushing in right before closing time, almost in a panic. He told me his father had told him I was going out of business, and he wanted to find out for sure, and get his Irish purchases before it was too late. So he said out loud the possibility I had tossed around in my mind, and let me tell you, hearing it out of someone else's mouth was like being hit in the back of the head with a shovel! And "Going out of Business" is no longer something I'm even willing to consider!

We talked while he shopped, and came to the conclusion that the false rumor must have been generated by the fact that another Irish Shop in Ocean County closed, as the owner passed away. We continued to look for suitable merchandise, and he made a few selections. It is the habit of many Irish folks, and my customers are no exception, to talk about their family histories. In passing, my customer told me his last name. You guessed it...Rooney! I showed him the plaque, and he snatched up just as quickly as if it had been made just for him.

I realized that I hadn't been just waiting for any old person named "Rooney" to come in for that plaque...I had been waiting for THAT customer named "Rooney" to come in...to set my head straight!

So thank you, Mr. Rooney! Is it any wonder we love our customers?!!!