Lifestyle Change
What if the end is only the beginning?
Life is full of big changes. A new job, the loss of a friend, sickness. Leaving home or moving in with someone you love. Buying a car or a house. Starting a business. Some changes are forced upon us due to circumstances. Others, we do to ourselves.
Every change offers two views. One is loss, decline and powerlessness. The other is gain, rebirth, strength and a new beginning.
It doesn't matter how small or large the change is. The key to success in life is how well we deal with changes. How good are we at moving away from what we had, towards something new?
What if the end is only the beginning?
Life is full of big changes. A new job, the loss of a friend, sickness. Leaving home or moving in with someone you love. Buying a car or a house. Starting a business. Some changes are forced upon us due to circumstances. Others, we do to ourselves.
Every change offers two views. One is loss, decline and powerlessness. The other is gain, rebirth, strength and a new beginning.
It doesn't matter how small or large the change is. The key to success in life is how well we deal with changes. How good are we at moving away from what we had, towards something new?
This is part of the TWO COWBOYS' EPIC GLOBAL TRAVEL & CULINARY EXPERIENCE - 2019!
Nature is in a constant cycle of decline and renewal. Letting go of the old and welcoming the new should come naturally to us too. So why is it so hard?
It is because we trap ourselves in temporal illusions. Our imagination creates time, circumstances and places in distorted realities. In our silliness, we fear losing things long gone, while holding on to things that may never be. Our perspectives define our reality. The hardest task then is to tie our reality down to the truth of where we are now and what we need to give up to move forward.
When we are honest with ourselves, we will realize that every change is a goodbye to get a hello, an end for a beginning, letting go for something new. Without this realization, we risk being trapped in an illusory twilight of despair. It will destroy our spirit if we cannot say goodbye. We won't have a future if we do not say hello.
Greenwood City in British Columbia has been saying goodbye since 1918 when the copper mine and smelter closed. It has been saying goodbye for so long that it became trapped in a very real twilight of despair and decay. Old buildings crumbled, people moved away, and businesses left town despite an average of over 3,000 vehicles a day passing through during the summer months (Traffic Patterns, 2011). It may well be on the road to oblivion like its predecessors Phoenix, Bridesville, Sidley, and others if it doesn't embrace a future.
With its rich history and its long resistance to change, Greenwood also attracted people afraid of letting go. You can see it in the junk-filled yards, the neglected little houses and the rusting clunkers in the driveways.
We think that Greenwood and the area are poised for change and on the verge of a millennial renaissance. It is the right time now for the City to move towards its tomorrow as more and more people drop out of big-city life, avoid daily commuting, expensive mortgages, and having too much meaningless stuff.
Greenwood could and should say hello to young families, college graduates, entrepreneurs, crafters, makers, small houses, new buildings and people that embrace lifestyle, simplicity and old-school authentic values. The mine won't give it a future. Instead, it should court producers, makers, and telecommuters - the foundation of a new economy.
The last thing Greenwood needs is a Mickey D's on the corner, Starbucks or a Safeway parking lot. Instead, it requires a butcher, doctor, grocer, candymaker, woodworker, cabinet maker, knifemaker, weaver, and it needs more people that realize that it is an affordable place to work and live - really live. It has the required vehicle traffic. Greenwood just needs to give people more reasons to stop, and some will even choose to bring their dreams, hobbies, businesses and jobs to stay.
It is because we trap ourselves in temporal illusions. Our imagination creates time, circumstances and places in distorted realities. In our silliness, we fear losing things long gone, while holding on to things that may never be. Our perspectives define our reality. The hardest task then is to tie our reality down to the truth of where we are now and what we need to give up to move forward.
When we are honest with ourselves, we will realize that every change is a goodbye to get a hello, an end for a beginning, letting go for something new. Without this realization, we risk being trapped in an illusory twilight of despair. It will destroy our spirit if we cannot say goodbye. We won't have a future if we do not say hello.
Greenwood
Greenwood City in British Columbia has been saying goodbye since 1918 when the copper mine and smelter closed. It has been saying goodbye for so long that it became trapped in a very real twilight of despair and decay. Old buildings crumbled, people moved away, and businesses left town despite an average of over 3,000 vehicles a day passing through during the summer months (Traffic Patterns, 2011). It may well be on the road to oblivion like its predecessors Phoenix, Bridesville, Sidley, and others if it doesn't embrace a future.
With its rich history and its long resistance to change, Greenwood also attracted people afraid of letting go. You can see it in the junk-filled yards, the neglected little houses and the rusting clunkers in the driveways.
We think that Greenwood and the area are poised for change and on the verge of a millennial renaissance. It is the right time now for the City to move towards its tomorrow as more and more people drop out of big-city life, avoid daily commuting, expensive mortgages, and having too much meaningless stuff.
Greenwood could and should say hello to young families, college graduates, entrepreneurs, crafters, makers, small houses, new buildings and people that embrace lifestyle, simplicity and old-school authentic values. The mine won't give it a future. Instead, it should court producers, makers, and telecommuters - the foundation of a new economy.
The last thing Greenwood needs is a Mickey D's on the corner, Starbucks or a Safeway parking lot. Instead, it requires a butcher, doctor, grocer, candymaker, woodworker, cabinet maker, knifemaker, weaver, and it needs more people that realize that it is an affordable place to work and live - really live. It has the required vehicle traffic. Greenwood just needs to give people more reasons to stop, and some will even choose to bring their dreams, hobbies, businesses and jobs to stay.
Observations
Tammy Bowering moved to Greenwood and established her Country Suds Dog Grooming in 2018. She simply realized that Greenwood had dogs that needed grooming. Her love for dogs compelled her to say hello to her future, and she started her small grooming business. It's been growing steadily, and we are proud to feature her as part of our portfolio of Boundary Country stories.
Tammy is so passionate about the future of the City that she is now heading the Greenwood Board of Trade. It is an organization that was incorporated in 1899, just two years after the city itself was incorporated. The chief goal of the Greenwood Board of Trade is to promote economic and community development, to network with local and regional businesses, and to support small business.
The Cowboys are glad to throw in our support for the future prosperity of Greenwood. It gives another opportunity for people to find a better way to work and live in the Boundary Country of British Columbia. It is a chance for us to have our chosen lifestyle.
Hendrik
Boundary Cowboy
2026 update: Tammy retired in April 2026, and Country Suds Dog Grooming has closed after nearly eight years as Greenwood's only dog groomer. Thank you, Tammy. (Source: The Midway Advance)
Photos
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| City Hall |
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| Powder Room |
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| Grooming |
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| Doggy Love! |
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| Doggy Wash! |
1 comment:
Excellent blog and very very true, grab the day! Love the video, go Greenwood!
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