About Work and an Old Man in a Chinese Fish Shop

 
Back at my desk on a Monday and I love it!

I do though.

But it isn't all sunshine and roses at my desk. So let me clarify a bit before you think I have some kind of perfect work situation.

Because it is. But it also isn't.

I don't suppose anything can be all "good", really.

And then it goes to follow that nothing can be all "bad" either, right?

I work for myself and it is tough, and sometimes even frightening, because no set work days, hours or weekends. And no guaranteed set income every month. I work harder than I ever did when I was employed and do with less money on top of this in exchange for more valuable time for the things that fill my soul.

I have freedom of choice and this (to me these days) is priceless.

I come from a long line of entrepreneurs as well.

Everybody in my family has started, and successfully run, their own business. From my dad, to my mom, to my brother. All the way through to aunts, uncles and cousins. To extended family through partnerships and marriages.

Sure, a few of us had full-time employers. Two of the family members stuck that out, I think.

The rest of us resigned and went off into the free world to make our own way when we felt ready to do it. Perhaps if it runs in a family it just seems like a less dangerous thing to attempt.

I've created two small businesses without planning them. One was an opportunity that presented itself and I just thought, "Hey. Why not?" and made it work. Until it didn't anymore.

The other was an interest that I built into a home business, on the fly, that also worked nicely for eleven years. This business was accidentally launched out of necessity. I had bills to pay and someone asked if I could do the work.

I couldn't.

But I said I could, took the job and learned by doing it.

My dad taught us that success is bred from courage, focus, hard work and determination. Us kids learned this less by his words and more by his example.

But I also learned, even more importantly I think, "how" to work from a rather wonderful story he once shared with me.

He told a great story, my dad. And used his storytelling to pass on his unusual perspective and thoughts on life in the most creative and entertaining ways.

I think this is the magic of a good story and why we humans keep on sharing them, as a tradition, to pass on information from generation to generation.

The Chinese Fish Shop

My dad started and ran his own very successful clothing business.

How this happened was one of my all time favourite tales of his and it speaks realms about "Higher Education" and "Academia"... vs practical life and hands on experience.

But... as I'm predictably going to say roundabout now...

that's another story.

He ended up manufacturing for some of the biggest retail outlets in South Africa within a few years of going solo. In fact, his first original label was "Solo". Forgotten until I wrote this right now.
 

Which is why I love writing for Silver Bloggers. This seems to happen all the time around here. Distant memories become precious memories revisited. Forgotten ones make their way back to the light.

 
The Old Man in a Chinese Fish Shop was one of my dad's favourite memories. A moment that resonated with him so deeply that he shared it with me more than once.

He traveled a great deal on business and China was a regular destination because he sent the majority of the textile designs there for printing.

China handles large scale rotary textile printing in a way that, unfortunately, is quite shocking because of the factory conditions and work rota for factory workers (which my dad also shared with me, of course!).

But it was less expensive to send artwork all the way to China, to be printed onto rolls of fabric, and then shipped back to South Africa for manufacture. We did as much local printing as we could, but to stay competitive and keep the big retail stores as clients... compromises sadly had to be made.

Fucking Capitalism. _{('scuse language. not.)}

My dad adored fish, by the way.

He was nuts about the ocean and sea-life.

He kept impressive, wall length aquariums as a hobby because he did everything "big". Living included.

He had one fresh water tank and one saltwater tank and he spent hours on them. Testing water PH whatever. Taking water temperature. Cleaning the tanks.

And simply sitting and watching the life and interaction inside them for ages...

He managed to bring some Blue Discus home from a trip to China once.

He told me he carried them in a plastic bag next to him on the 18 plus hour flight. Yes. In a plastic bag no less.

He said he had to open the top and fan them with a magazine every so often to make sure the water stayed oxygenated. Yes. You read that right.

My dad was a character.

When he decided on something he figured out a way to get it done.

Every time.

To this day I've no idea how he managed to get the airline and customs to allow him to carry live fish in a plastic bag on an 18 plus hour plane flight.

The fish, somehow, made it back alive.

They looked very much like the ones in the video below, except his had very bright neon blue stripes and long, elegant black and white tendrils flowing off them.

He would sit and watch them for ages and laugh at how they "posed" in the water. Because they were really beautiful. And they did pose.

Every now and then they would slow right down and hover elegantly in the water in total contrast to the other species he kept in the tank. The Oscars, who were busy as hell and always causing mayhem!

 

---

---

 

He'd bought the Discus from a fish shop in China and this is where his story came from.

As my dad entered the fish store he saw an old Chinese man working on one of the tanks. The man was decorating the tank for display purposes and was so intent on his task that he didn't even notice my dad entering the shop.

So my dad waited quietly, watching because he was so taken with the old man's patience, absolute focus and immaculate level of presentation.

The way my dad described what he saw went something like this:
 

"He had magnifying glasses on and these loooooong tweezers that he was using to arrange a water plant as part of the display in the tank. Leaf by tiny leaf!"

 
He got quite excited when he explained this bit. And he would smile widely.
 

"Leaf by tiny leaf! So it was perfectly displayed in the tank."

 
He was also into Bonsai trees, my dad. So you can probably understand his excitement when he walked in on this scene.

But it was more the work ethic of the old man in the Chinese fish shop that resonated with him so deeply. And he used this story to pass this lesson on to me as a younger person.

 

"You see it doesn't matter what work it is you do." he would say.

"It doesn't matter what your job title is. That doesn't define who you are anyway. You can be a factory sweeper. And if you're a factory sweeper then you should do that work to the best of your ability. This is what will give you satisfaction at the end of the day."

 

I guess this Monday message is:

It isn't what you do.

It's how you do it that will bring you joy.
 
 

A young boy became a monk. He dreamed of enlightenment and of learning great things. When he got to the monastery he was told that each morning he had to chop wood for the monks fires and then carry water up to the monastery for ablutions and the kitchen. He attended prayers and meditation, but the teaching he was given was rather sparse.

One day he was told to take some tea to the Abbot in his chambers. He did so and the Abbot saw he looked sad and asked him why.

He replied every day all I do is chop wood and carry water. I want to learn. I want to understand things. I want to be great one day, like you.

The Abbot gestured to the scrolls on shelves lining the walls. He said

“When I started I was like you. Every day I would chop wood and carry water. Like you I understood that someone had to do these things, but like you I wanted to move forward. Eventually I did. I read all of the scrolls, I met with Kings and and gave council. I became the Abbot. Now, I understand that the key to everything is that everything is ‘chopping wood and carrying water’ and that if one does everything mindfully then it is all the same.”
_{original story source}

 

“Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.” ― Zen saying

 

Happy Monday. Don't forget to look up. Don't forget to slow down.

Be present and...

Be Happy ❤️

_{Originally published on Silver Bloggers}

Feel free to
join the community here
or say hello in the
Corner Coffee on Discord here

Eternal Seeker
Hardened Dreamer
Mother
Warrior
Determined Dancer
and Stargazer

still...

Beyond fear is freedom

And there is nothing to be afraid of.

_{To Life, with Love... and always for Truth!
Nicky Dee}

_{Featured image from Wallpapercave
Mr Miyagi is Japanese btw. Such a beautiful image of him I had to use it.
And he also taught us all some good stuff as kids!
Horizontal Rule with pen and flower created with Photo by Nicolas Thomas on Unsplash and
Photo by Marjan Blan | @marjanblan on Unsplash}