“Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college, but it was very, very clear looking backwards 10 years later. Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward. You can only connect them looking backwards, so you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something--your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever--because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads you off the well-worn path, and that will make all the difference.”
Steve Jobs, Guest Speaker
Commencement
Stanford University 2005
The two moved to a corner booth near the back of the cafe and sat across from each other. The waitress took their order. Sarah only wanted some fruit and a glass of water with lemon. No need to ask Nick. It was his usual.
Sarah placed the notebook to her side, took a long drink of her water, brushed the red strands of hair from her forehead, drilled her eyes into his, paused, and spoke quietly, holding the quiver of her voice to herself.
“Nick, I want to do this thing, she blurted out, I want to build green garden gates” What you have done in these pages is all I needed to convince me of the possibilities.”
Sarah told Nick of the phone conversation with her husband, John last night. He was ready to help with the legal stuff and getting the money. She and John went over the plan carefully and finally. They talked about how their lives would change. They knew that others were needed to make it all happen, others that kind of people Nick talk about , people who had the skills to pull it off. Oh Yes, there had to be others, and absolutely, Nick Hudson.
“But, I cannot do this alone, said Sarah." "I want you to join me on this journey. Will you join me?", she asked.
Nick finished buttering his sourdough slices, listening as she talked about his notebook, her commitment to the future and the question she was asking of him.
It was always butter, not that margarine or any phony stuff. And it always would come to him in a big slab on a plate, not those little wrapped up squares covered with metal or something that took forever to peal away and plop on. He grabbed his knife and slipped it down into the slab. It was the real thing and lots of it.
He had been doing a lot of thinking. Would Sarah decide to build it? Would she ask him to be a part of it? What was he going to say?
Too many years have passed. He was much older now and the thought of lifting and moving and the long hours sobered him. He had given it all up and now the reality might be his choice to make. The little house, the warm breezes from the gulf, the quiet, had been kind to him. The pictures were hung. Everything was finally in it place.
But the thrill of the chase had been missing, the daily conquests, the voices of the gardeners were not there and he missed that. It was a big piece of who he was and that loss made him unfulfilled and empty. It would be the bright light once more where shadows had lingered, haunting him.
Oh, what the Hell.
“Yes, Sarah, I will join you. I am ready. Let’s get to work”
They both extended an outstretched hand to each other across the booth and smiled broadly. Sarah reach down and opened the notebook. The planning began.
Nick, in the notebook, called for two other partners in the development of the business. One person would be in charge of the planning and development of the land purchases, buildings design and construction as well as maintenance and improvements of the stores. The other person would be responsible for all the computer and Internet technology needed for the businesses,
Nick proposed a person named Twyla Maline. She had worked in Nick’s garden stores many years ago and had gone on with a career in building and development all over the
Sarah was interested in bringing to the group a young guy, Sammy Dodson. Sammy, too, had worked for Sarah when she was with Harley-Davidson. She knew that he was a superstar in computer, Internet knowledge.
They talked about their roles of these two in the building of green garden gates. Sarah and Nick agreed that each would search for Twyla and Sammy and invite them on this adventure.
The last two days on the gulf had been a cathartic experience for both Sarah and Nick. They were drained from all the energy and excitement. Their next meeting would be a two week session at Sarah’s home state of
Hopefully, the four would be sitting together and green garden gates would happen.
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