Misread

            As long as I can remember I have always needed the approval of others. Sometimes its through humor or generosity. Maybe its wearing my heart out on my sleeve. What ever the method, it can be devastating if misread. If humor is misread it may lead to a simple quarrel. If its something from the heart, it can take a chunk of your being. As I get older I have learned to protect myself from being misread, unfortunately I will never be immune.
            When I was developing the concept of F and B the Club, I had only the greatest of intentions. I wanted it in the greatest city in the world. I wanted a private club that was for people in the f&b industry. I wanted a place that when they got off work, they could get a bite to eat, have drinks and mingle with friend and co workers all on the same page. Specifically I didn't want anyone in their that a member might have waited on earlier. My partners,staff and I would plan outings for the members, like a day tubing down a river to end up at a spot where the grills were going and the beer was flowing. I wanted to get every member health insurance. I wanted to be able to perform any service need by a member that they them self were unable to do. But as the club got rolling, it started to snowball and many of the ideas were put on the back burner. Being an after hours club it was just a matter of time that it would get infiltrated with negativity. Till one day the club, that was my heart and soul, got called out publicly. The president of the local college, at a press conference for removing all after hours clubs from the downtown area, said that I was an academic hindrance. Those words were like a hot dagger to the heart and at that moment I knew my concept that was misread had been killed. I moved north to get away from the painful loss. Many years later I took a friend from my new home , back to the city I love. I warned her of my life there. I don't think she fully believed me, as we sat and enjoyed some southern tapas a random man walked up to me and asked "did you use to own Tomatoes?" Red Hot Tomatoes and f&b the club being one in the same, I said yes I am. As though he was going to start crying he said "you ruined my life " then walked away. First I was embarrassed then I was mad that this guy was blaming me for his messed up life. Like I had  control of his destiny. Thank God I was with my friend, she laughed saying " Damn man get over it" which made me laugh to. Later that night we ran into several people that had nothing but fond and funny memories of my once , very much alive concept.
           Be careful not to judge and or misread a persons intentions, it could be the death of great possibilities.