A Damaged Sign?

There is a reason why I hang this damaged sign inside my Martial Arts School here in Milford...

Years ago, LaCava's Martial Arts originally opened in Westport, CT and things were going great.  We had many students who loved to train and enjoyed being a part of out "Hapkido Circle."  Life was pretty good for all of us.  Then things took a turn for the worse.  Life issues had to be dealt with and fewer and fewer students walked through the door to train, which made it difficult to keep the doors open, both emotionally and financially.

Next came the icing on the cake; tropical storm Ernesto. The following day after it passed I went to the Dojang (martial arts school) and saw our sign laying 30 or so feet from where it used to hang so proudly.  Carried by Ernesto's relentless winds, I found it isolated, broken and barely standing against the base of a fence.  That was the same way I felt at that moment.  It seemed as though this was "a sign" to just pack it up and quit.  Fortunately, I believed enough in what we do and those who were there.  "Together," with my family and my students, we made it work though those difficult times.

The reason why I have that dirty and damaged sign displayed so proudly here in my new location in Milford is because that sign is a reminder to everyone (especially myself) who walks into the training area that throughout life things don't always work out as planned.  At times we fail, get hurt or suffer some type of setback, but if you believe in something enough you can make it work.

If you have read this far you probably understand where I'm coming from and had to work against the odds to have what you have today. If so, please share this with others so they understand they are not alone and they can accomplish their dreams if they believe and work hard for it.