Eish Eish Eish

This phrase explains my feelings when I experience a mini heart attack related to Roka Roko.

The mini heart attack: When a client calls me to say the item produced doesn't fit. And they are more than 45km away from me...or worse 600km far away.

The heart attack is caused by the fact that what I do is not a job,it is not a way to make money(even though it makes money), it is  not something Im doing while waiting for a better opportunity.  It is my passion.  It is my calling if I may say.  It is Brigette.  And I put my name on each item with pride and satisfaction that I have done it justice.  So alas such a call from any client is like a moment of 'ho' with a palm in my face. The cherry on the heart attack is the fact that the distance ensures that I am unable to correct the situation. Sigh.

I start questioning what could be wrong. Is the client putting it on correctly? Did I make a measurement mistake?  Did we take in too much some where? Did I even use the correct pattern? Then it hits me, I didn't insist on all the necessary steps to be taken.  Steps which avoid such heart attacks.   Steps like measurements, first fitting and last fitting.  If one of these is missed, it opens up the chance for a heart attack.  

The issue with working in the real world with real people; is that real things happen. You can have the time table set out and ready to perfection; but life will happen.  Most times last fittings never happen.  That is what happened this weekend; to cause my heart attack last night.  We miss them because people work, people have to be in places at certain times, people change their minds, I get held up somewhere, delays come into play for serious matters, etc. 

Funny thing is every time this happens I make a mental note never to do it again.  Until a client stands in front of me asking for an item I so want to make...and the creativity takes over.  I want to make clothes for those here, far, for tomorrow, next week....even yesterday.  But in reality I need to think strategically and logically(I am an artist hle!). And learn to say NO. Learn to remember my clients just want to look amazing; they are not interested how it happens because they pay a fee for that.  I must make it happen. And if they discover its not happening the night before the event...I get a  mini heart attack because I have failed my client.  The no. 1 priority here.

Then while I'm heart attacking myself I get a call about tomorrows pick ups.  Then  I remember in business, we fail and get up.  There simply is no time for wallowing.  You correct if you can.  You compensate if you can. Anything but you must move on.  Getting held up on a mistake you made last week will only create more mistakes this week.  I will deal with my mistake, will learn from it but today I have a chiffon dress to finish, a bride and her bridesmaids to fit, a cousin's pant dungaree to finish... so lets Roka Roko.