It's time to walk away

Sometimes, no matter how hard you try to make a relationship work, without a willing partner you are doomed to fail. This is of course true in both a person’s personal and professional life, and often when you find yourself in such a scenario, your best move is often to just walk away.

My parents raised me on principles that espoused respect, honesty, dignity and integrity. You work hard, and good things happen. They taught me it was only common courtesy that if somebody called you on the phone and you missed the call, you owed them a return call. If not immediately, within the next day unless extenuating circumstances, such as, you’re on extended vacation, in the hospital, etc. prevents such a quick response, you offer sincere apologies at the delay and place the call. In modern terminology if somebody takes the time to send you an email, you owe it to them to respond, following the same ground rules as to the timeliness of the reply. (anybody who knows me, knows I am quick to reply)

The lessons taught me by my parents were further enhanced and strengthened through the friendships I have developed and enjoyed over the years. By the teachers who have guided me from my first days of first grade through to college and beyond. And finally from my coaches on the ice, baseball and football fields, and the soccer pitch.

I was taught that basically people are good. That belief and the path of values upon which much of my life has walked, have for the most part served me well. Sometimes, it has not served me so well. You believe, or want to believe, that those with whom you are in a relationship share the same values, the same vision, and that can at times, like love, make you blind to the truth and the failings of the relationship, the lack of sincerity of the partner. When that occurs, you have to learn to walk away.

Recently I had posted that Gallery 30 had asked me to remove my pastels from the gallery. They still wanted to carry the prints, which were selling, and were interested in carrying my oils, but they felt the pastels weren’t selling and needed to be removed. Though disappointed, I wanted to make the relationship a success and though I offered options, I never received a reply and made arrangements to retrieve the paintings in mid-August.

Just over a week plus I ventured south to do just that. Upon arriving at the gallery what struck me was, that though I could be wrong, but experience tells me that it is often difficult to sell an item when said item is not on display. The majority of the paintings were squirreled away upstairs and completely out of view. Discovery of this prompted me to take my first steps to walk away. Further investigation into the situation revealed that the reason they weren’t on display, the new owners do not particularly care for the battlefield. This would not bode well for the oils since they too depict the battlefield. More steps. Finally, though not least, and this may just be me, but, if somebody asks you to come to pick up your paintings from their gallery, you would think they would be more accommodating in their removal? I was told through a third party, on the day I arrived at the gallery to pick up the paintings, to come back tomorrow, they were too busy. Let’s see, eight hour drive, at their request, and they’re too busy? Maybe I’m overreacting, but I don’t conduct business in such a manner, and don’t expect the same in my business relationships, thus I thought it best at this time to take those final steps and walk away.

I still find great beauty and inspiration in the landscape of Gettysburg. I see it something more than a battlefield; it calls to me. I shall continue to paint its pastoral vistas and my irons remain in the fire and I may yet find a location to once again display my current and future works of that pristine field as well as other fields upon which the foundation of our country was formed. So, keep an eye on my web site, and this blog as we continue our journey “Painting the Soul of America”