thedailypic•Yr7•250/366•2441•The Photo Shop 20

I am a nostalgic person, it might be tied to having a very strong memory, I recently read my generation is very nostalgic. It is tied to 9/11 and the 80’s, some math equation that has us respect today, but reminisce about a time gone by. Maybe it is just age, but I like to recall, and anniversaries are a big part of it. I doubt you would find it hard to believe, but in addition to this daily blog, I have a family timeline, I have been keeping it for years, on this date – 20 years back, it says “Bought Shop”. That shop was my film lab, at the time Copi’s One Hour Photo, later renamed The Photo Shop. I was 22 years old. So young. Soon to be old. Fresh out of Mass Bay, barely 5 years out of High School, with the support of my parents, my grandparents, the previous owners Jim, Jan and Dave, even my yet to be father in law and a very patient girlfriend, I purchased a business. I bought a career. I remember the day. It was a Friday, it was really nice out, I wore for the first time and last time a short button down shirt and tie, no one told me how bad I looked. I went to work at the shop in the morning with the owners. It was a slow day, I won a basketball off a bottle of Sprite and I remember being way too excited about it considering what was about to happen. I believe it was 2pm we all went down to the lawyers, signed the papers, I was handed a huge check, for a 22 year old kid at least, from my banker, I then handed it to the previous owners, then back to the shop. It was mine. My family was there, some friends stopped by, we closed up then went to eat at Szechuan Gardens for a dinner. After, everyone went home, I went back to the shop and moved counters, scrubbed floors until 2 in the morning. It was glamorous, I was a business owner.

I was the owner until it closed at the end of 1999. I got engaged, I got married, I lost grandparents, I lost friends, I made friends, I bought a house, I had a daughter, I loved it, I hated it, I miss it. It was the best education I have ever had. I thought I would hand it to my kids, in 1996 we did not see technology coming, but it showed up quick. I made what  now turns out to be brilliant business decisions that put me in a position to leave gracefully. I had friends in the industry that did not make out as well. The shop led to some great opportunities, one would be working for Kodak, a cool thing to have on a resume when you love photography, another is I worked with my brother daily for 4 years, not many can say that, and I am happy I did… I can not speak for him though. Because he was there the store lasted longer than it would had one my own, he was by far “the nice one”.

I can’t imaging going through the decisions, the planning, the risk I took back then now. I did not know anything, so it was not as hard. I know too much now. The world is not as forgiving, no one takes risks the same way. I (with some help) convinced a bank to believe in me. I had no house, I had a Geo Metro for a car, I suited up and went to a bank with a plan and a cosigner and had to plead my case. Even then, I was told no a few times, I was told no by the same man that reluctantly gave me the money in the end. I was 22, it is crazy to think about it. I doubt getting that loan would be easy now at 42. We don’t let risk breathe anymore. I made it work, I worked hard to do so. One week off in 4 years. I was at the shop 2 hours after my daughter was born, I was at the counter 90 minutes before my wedding, I slept in that store on a cot in the back room during the holidays. I made it work, for many reasons, the very least was to show up those at the banks that said no, they were wrong. I am better for having it, I am wise for not having it anymore. Good news though, I still have the Sprite basketball, I will add that to the timeline.

tr/trp