Until I started working in a print shop, I didn’t give much thought to what people -do-. Everybody expects little kids to say they want to become a fireman or a ballerina when they grow up, but what five year old aspires to be the person who folds bulletins for Sunday morning services or punches holes in wedding invitations so that pretty pink ribbons can be tied at the top?
I’ve been working here a little over a year and to be honest, my role in this business has been mostly on the filing/envelope stuffing/making the occasional photocopy end. Until the funeral programs. Kenny (my husband) and Mike (his partner) were asked if they wanted to begin printing memorial bookmarks and programs for local funerals. They agreed to do so and thus a mini education began for me. I’ve mostly been on the grieving side of death, not the business side. Recently, however, I’ve gained a whole new respect for mortuaries. Life doesn’t end on schedule. Kenny may get a call at nine o’ clock in the evening to run 200 programs for the next day. This involves copying the programs, folding them, packaging them and delivering them to the funeral home.
Don’t get me wrong. We are a pretty automated business around here. Not every program, flier, or statement is folded by hand. We have machines that copy for us, cut for us, fold for us, even a machine that makes those little dotted lines that indicate where a paper is to be torn off. Still, there are days when we do fold things by hand, when we do lick all the envelopes ourselves, when we do use a pair of scissors rather than the big knife machine.
My world is pretty easy. I have a computer genius husband who can help me make booklets for my church kids. I have three adorable nieces who help me get my little kid fix. I have a boss who never fails to make me laugh. I have a family who indulges my “I am a princess” fantasy and beautiful friends who are usually up for anything.
Every now and then though, it’s nice to just do one small thing, seal one small envelope after another. Every now and then, it’s nice to accomplish one small goal.
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