When the summer was over, the time came to head south. I couldn’t wait to see how the RV dealership construction had progressed. I loaded the stock and headed south.
The demand for high quality airbrushed murals placed me in an earning position that made the pursuit of opportunities to perform with the circus pointless. The remainder of the summer that led up to the Blue Bird rally in October became a blur of motorhome murals. The Blue Bird rally was on the way south.
The Luce family had sold the company and the dynamic at Wanderlodge changed. I had learned a lot through this stepping stone of my career. I was grateful for the boost received and the opportunities I had found. I enjoyed what became my last Blue Bird rally. Then I made haste to return to Lazydays.
With those rallies complete, I returned to Gee Gee’s farm in Florida. At Lazydays I resumed my busy schedule of making murals, giving seminars and treated every situation with reverence.
I continued to live in my horse trailer. I found out about a large horse barn a mile from Lazydays. Boarding my horse would free me up to work late. Souveran summed up his performing career in a single moment when I led him into that big comfortable barn filled with working cow and pleasure horses – he breathed one big sigh of relief.
George Aldridge was the tall, strapping cowboy who ran this barn. His specialty was reining horses though he came from a lineage of meat cutters. The seventeen-acre property was once a destination for cattle to get cut up. The building where that activity took place was razed to make room as urban sprawl required the road out front to become eight lanes.
George had a valuable piece of property. He knew someday the corner would fetch a handsome sum. For now, the large arenas and riding areas were utilized by cowboys who came to not only learn something from George but to put their horses in training with this gifted horseman. George began preparing a place in Ocala for his eventual home.
My horse became my hobby. After work, I took a break from the rigors of painting on motorhomes. I spent time in the evenings perfecting trot work, canter work and the flexibility of horse and rider. This work began over two decades ago. I started with a 4-H horse in Clarklake and over the years utilized an impressive series of mentors.
I started taking dressage lessons with an attractive dark-haired product of the sixties with a tired voice. Sharon was from Michigan and knew many of the dressage people I knew. Sharon had a precise way of sharing what she saw with a command of language with which to get her observation across.
Our lessons were mostly recreational, as now my role as the resident artist at Lazydays took priority. I had no desire to beat myself up on the road with other opportunities to perform. I enjoyed the shift in my horsemanship focus. Perhaps to sharpen my skills as dressage rider for some other purpose would be practical, but the reality remained that this was now my hobby.
While I lived in my horse trailer at Gee Gee’s, I resigned to the fact that I would probably always be living in a horse trailer. A circus family from Russia camped there too. I learned some of their language and enjoyed their food.
One of the first men I met at Lazydays was also an AA member. Lee went out of his way to welcome me to the company. He also told me about a healing ministry called Overcomers at a nearby church. With my permanent painting situation, I got plugged into weekly social activities. I began to regularly attend this evening gathering.
Overcomer’s was a blend of the twelve steps mixed with gospel. I became an avid member and progressed into facilitator at my men’s group. I remained dedicated to this ministry for several years.
Being an artist in a permanent situation also provided me with the ability to see Barry on a regular basis. The drive to Anna Maria Island became a welcome respite. Barry and I attended local plays, orchestra concerts and the Opera at Sarasota.
I learned that Tom Selleck had purchased a home on the island. One sunny afternoon I made myself busy. I picked up sticks and tidied up Barry’s yard. A week later I talked to her on the phone. Barry couldn’t contain her laughter. She reported getting a phone call from one of her curious neighbors.
“What was Tom Selleck doing in your yard?”
I attended the Lazydays monthly company meetings that occurred early before work where the entire staff of four hundred employees assembled in the cafeteria. I watched as new employees were welcomed into the company and salesmen received awards for selling large amounts of motorhomes. I was amazed to be part of this large company but also noticed social dynamics that reminded me of the playground of my youth.
I felt awkward in that setting. There were too many people. I wanted to fit in. I attended the company meetings but never did receive the welcome gesture the new employees received.
I arrived at Lazydays before sunrise and often worked past sunset. The rigorous pace of mural production remained steady throughout the year. Out at my studio, in the peaceful setting beneath old growth trees I had a safe place. This was my think tank for ideas. With a steady stream of customers, I stayed in production mode, I was happy.
I attended the weekly CSI class, taught by Don Wallace. He introduced us to the foundation principles that built this company. He encouraged the use of common sense and introduced the hospitality mindset. Keeping these success principles foremost in my mind mixed with healing perceptions acquired at Overcomer’s. These learning opportunities lifted my attitude and perception. As I remained intentional with my attitude and regard for others I was lifted into a new realm of gratitude.
One concept stressed by Mister Wallace was to reach out to another department head whenever a problem occurred that was out of our league. There were times when this happened to me. My entire career I handled everything myself. Here with this large company when I had such a problem, I entered into the scary realm of interacting with others.
Moving into these exchanges gave me an opportunity to grow. Sometimes I experienced the desired result but other times I witnessed behavior that actually ran counter to what Mister Wallace taught. Many personal agendas were the opposite of what would benefit the company and our clients.
Fortunately, I had Jack. He was familiar with corporate insanity and coached me on how to go about getting things done in this environment. Regardless, these lessons on how to get along with others augmented the healing work started years ago with AA. These new lessons rocketed me into another chapter of my life.
I found an ally in the marketing department. Tony was helpful with adding Letterfly to the amenities in all the Lazydays marketing. I continued with the marketing strategies started at River Ranch that got me here. I generated special brochures, photo books with examples of RV art for the customers waiting lounge and the sales staff. Jack helped me with selling concepts like providing a cash spiff to a salesman whose referral purchased a mural. I wrote, published (again with the help of the Ridge Printing company) and mailed out a printed newsletter to my client base all the news of this incredible situation at Lazydays.
I discovered many reasons to become relational in this setting. New friendships blossomed as I tried new ways of connecting. A little at a time, I became a company man. Letterfly and Lazydays would grow together for many years to come.
Letterfly Writes 