May I see your license, M'am?

"May I see your license, M'am?" I don't know what bothered me more; the first or the last part of that question. They say age is only a number and is relative. Funny thing is that the older we get the crazier the world seems. Is it crazy because we are older and we wish things would be as they were OR are things really crazier? I vote the latter. I know I am older; the gray "highlights" increasing and the realization that I cannot look at a cookie without gaining a pound. But now there are even more challenges. Smartphones are way too complicated and frankly who needs to have access to the world 24/7? Researching a topic with books, having a conversation or even asking for directions is a dying art. And texting? Who is the genius who told our children that texting is the same as talking? There should be a course in courteous texting behavior. It is not ok, in my opinion, to answer a text while someone is speaking. Our bodies require human contact, interaction, communication that is not via an "electronic interpreter."

To be fair, having endless knowledge at our fingertips can be a wonderful thing. Communication is enhanced via email. When designing a remount for a client, a click of a button sends ideas so when we meet we have a plan for the "bling to be." But the key is the meeting and the listening. That's the gift.

In her song "Automatic", Miranda Lambert sings "'cause when everything is handed to you, it's only worth as much as the time put in". But this world is full of those looking for a quick solution-an easy fix. Computers rule sometimes but not always. A neighbor brought a gold and diamond watch to my Dad she found in Lake Ontario trying locate the owner. In the back was a watchmaker's hand inscribed mark of repair. It was Dad's mark. Our records revealed the owner, who was so appreciative!

We are celebrating our 56th year in business and during that time, we strived to be your experts for gift giving surprises or repairing your treasured jewelry. My favorite part of the business is working with a client designing a new piece from another. Amazing bling transformations occur with the meeting of the minds. They say the "purpose of an expert is to shorten the distance between problem and solution." We have tried to do that for three generations.