Monk's Week off Blog Project, Day 1

And so it begins, dear reader, a week of guest posts by those closest to me. This year's theme is "change" and who best to start the week than my best friend, partner of 20 years, and love of my life. Tambo

What do you want to be when you grow up? When Mrs. Gibson, your 3rd-grade, pudgy, curly-haired teacher asked you this all-important question... what did you say? An astronaut? A doctor? Do you remember what it felt like to have that clear defining moment of "Yes that is totally what I'm going to be when I grow up!”? That complete clarity of thought, that you so knew where you were going, and that all important question was answered and you could just play your life out, travel down the merry path of life and everything was going to be exactly as you planned.

Yeah, right.

Doesn’t quite seem to work out that way, does it? I don't know about you, but I tend to flounder from one thing to the next. I like to think I have the vague idea of what I'd like to be. But it's more like, "Hey, maybe I'd like to try that. It looks like fun." or "I can do that!" No grand plan, just floundering.

I'm pretty sure that Monk didn't sit in his 3rd-grade desk, between bites of glue and pulling the girl’s pony tails sitting in front of him, and thought that, yes indeed he really wanted to make and sell bondage rope. However, he's one of the very few I know that did eventually not only figure out what he wanted to be, but pursued it, and with a mind-boggling amount of hard work, has made it a reality.

In the last year, TwistedMonk has stopped being a homegrown company. Yes, it did start out that way, but in the last year, Monk moved the rope manufacturing to the Abbey, sponsored conventions, traveled outside the Northwest area for events, and even hired employees. Even through all the change, he hasn't lost focus on his dream and what he wants to be.

I can't tell you what an amazing thrill it is to see this first hand. It's both terrifying and exhilarating to see him make this happen. Scarred at some point it will all come crashing down, but thrilled and surprised every day that it doesn't. There are no words on earth to express how proud I am of him and what he's accomplished. Through all of his hard work, he’s created a company that, when it comes right down to it, provides happiness in a box. Pure and simple.

It really can happen. You can still find the answer to Mrs. Gibson’s all-important, question, even now. Go out and seek and answer. Quit the day job, go pursue your craft and make it work. I’m not saying it’s easy. I’m not saying that it won’t be the hardest and scariest thing you’ve ever done. But it can be done. Ask Monk.

So, what do you want to be when you grow up?