50 years ago today was a very big day for my parents.
I'm about to share a direct quote from my dad, who remembers that morning in 1975. He was standing outside of a new building and talking to himself. According to Chicky-poo, he said “Okay, you dumb Finlander (one of his preferred terms for himself), now you're going to have to work your a$$ off”. The new building was the auto body shop my parents had just opened, Koski Collision Center, and they had no idea 50 years ago today if it would work out
Spoiler alert—it did. Over the next two decades my parents poured their heart & soul into it to make it the success that it became. And still is, actually, as it continues to go strong being run by my ex-brother in law and nephew.
I guess both my parents ended up working their a$$es off.
I see different parts of parents in me, my sister, and my brother. None of us seem to share the same parts, with one exception—we all seem to have this incredible work ethic. My sister is one of the owners of a grocery store, for gosh sakes. My brother loves get his hands dirty and fix things or build things and is currently driving trucks across the country. And I seem to have this habit of having three or four projects going at once, whether I want to or not, like today when I do radio, TV, AND give a tour. And I can state without any doubt that all comes, in part, from what my dad said to himself standing in front of that new building 50 years ago today. Or what my mom would tell me when I was young and still at home, getting my start in radio, and leaving to work an overnight shift--
“Do a good job tonight”. And I always did my best.
In fact, to show you the work ethic my parents have, they wanted to retire early, which is why they sold Todd the shop in the mid 90s. They had plans to do all kinds of things and have all kinds of different experiences. However (and I do have to chuckle about this) they became so bored that they both got jobs—my mom as a bookkeeper, and my dad as a certified furniture installers. They kept doing that for another decade before retiring-retiring.
To paraphrase something I say on occasion...parents these days.
Anyway, it all started 50 years ago today. So on that note, happy work-anniversary Mom & Dad. And thanks for setting such a good example.
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