P is for "Persistence!"

Ashton makes my persistence look good!

I have resolved to learn to crochet hats.

It seems like it ought to be easy.  It's not.  I've spent a few precious hours with YouTube, because I'm a visual learner.  I cain't make the beautiful items out at Meladora's Crochet Creations, but I made something!  To my amazement, Malachi's friend Isaac wants this hat.  "I'll crush that!" he hollered, when I brought it out.  "Golden State Warriors' colors!"  OK.  "Seven dollars, " I said, with what I hoped was proper marketing confidence.
"Put a fuzzy ball on top and some strings, and I'll give you ten," the young man replied.  All-righty, then!

http://www.meladorascreations.com

The difference between what I got and what I was going for?  PERSISTENCE.

Crocheting hats and scarves is a way to rest my busy mind somewhere, occupy my hands, and create something, all at the same time.  My grandma Lucy Coker Jefferson told me:  "Nobody can call you lazy if you make stuff!" She was teaching me how to crochet.  My mother taught her, and she taught me.  Most of her grandchildren crochet.  We discovered at a family reunion that we all do so for the same reason--out of loving memories of her.  I got major blowback for teaching my cousin Thurman, Jr. to crochet.  "It looks so relaxing," he exclaimed as he watched my hook flying.  I cain't walk and chew gum, but I can talk and crochet.  I like that.  I taught him what I could, with his mama and sisters screeching dissent the whole way.  They're on F**book, Lord love 'em, and they can stay there.

My goal is to crochet 1000 scarves and sell them at around $10 a pop.  This goal originated from watching a Steve Harvey stand-up.

 Steve Harvey is the New Oprah.

 Before he was that, he did stand-up comedy.  If you watch just one Steve Harvey comedy special, you will understand why yours truly is utterly inured to the n-word.  It has made that man millions.  More than Richard Pryor, Dave Chappelle, and Kramer from Seinfeld put together!  When he stopped denigrating and cussing, Steve got to talking about how he made it (wit de help ob de Lawd!).  He said, "Sell something for $5.  When you make $100, sell something for $10.  When you make $500, sell something for $20.  Do that for a couple years.  Look around and see yourself as an entrepreneur.  Look around and see yourself out of the hole.  Look around and see people respecting you.  Look in the mirror and see a new human being."  I decided to start out with $10 scarves.  If I sell one thousand scarves at that price, I will generate ten thousand dollars.  Of course, I have chunked this goal down.  I want to make fifty scarves and sell them at the local flea market on Black Friday.  If I can learn to make decent hats within the next week or so, I can raise my price point:  $10 for a scarf, $7 for a hat; $15 for both.  NAFTA and CAFTA put the textile industry out of business in North America.  This town used to be vibrant, affluent and alive.  Now, I'll be grateful to make those price points.  A single mom will have a handmade Christmas gift for a child, too.  It keeps me going.

My great-aunt Emma Mae Bullock was the very first A-A employee of Harriet & Henderson Yarns.
This is some of her stash.

I am persistent.  When I determined in my heart to send my son on a trip to Europe, I looked around at what I could do to make money right away.  Entrepreneurs know that it doesn't take making a lot of money to get the juices flowing.  I was overjoyed  when that boy said he wanted to buy my ugly hat!  I'm up early today, because I realize, I got a market.  Consequently, I must manage my time better, so that I may produce more "pretty uglies" for teenage boys.  Whatever your dream--remember, 'P' is for Persistence!

Have a great weekend, and thanks for reading my blog.
#FriendsofMalachiMaxwellGlass