Travel is so rewarding when you meet new people and gain insights into their intriguing lives. It was a pleasure for my wife Mary and I to talk with two women who owned retail shops in St. Petersburg, FL--one a dress shop and the other a Christmas ornament shop.
One woman's Greek grandfather started the sponge industry in the Tarpon Springs area. She wrote a delightful book about him, other ancestors and other Greeks coming to Tarpon Springs. She dedicated the book to her 18-year old daughter, who was tragically killed in a auto accident some years ago. I was amazed at her love of family and her ability to share her family with others, including strangers. I guess that is why I wrote my family history 10 years ago.
A second shop owner was a widely travelled woman who spent time living in Sedona, AZ and many other places. She had wonderful stories to tell about how her travels shaped her life. She too finds people to be the most important aspect of travel--getting to know them, learning from them and sharing her life with them.
I am convinced that these two women do what they do for a living because they enjoy people. If that is your love, running a retail shop, even with all of its hardships and difficulties, can be a rewarding experience.
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