In these incredibly tough times there is also an abundance of inspirational and innovative ideas and actions springing up. We’re proving to ourselves that we are more adaptable than we imagined, that change doesn’t have to be scary, and given that we have to, we are coming up with some great ideas and new ways of doing things. Because we are all in it together, we’re learning together. No-one has been here before, in any kind of way, so there cannot possibly be experts, that would be the absolute definition of oxymoron (I love that word!)
I’m going to take the moment to sing the praises of my daughter. The way that she has turned her business into something completely different within a few short days, because she had to, is just one example of innovation.
Her business is called Open House Deli. The very name is inspired from a six-month solo adventure in India in 2017. She learnt there about the inner journey as much as the outer journey, although the sights and sounds of India on and off the beaten track were beyond anything she’d imagined. You can read more about it here.
It’s quite something to be learning from your daughter, but she teaches me something new every day. She has a very clear vision and principles which guide her thoughts, ideas and decisions every day. She’s never lost sight of what inspires her or the bigger picture. Right at the beginning, when she ran her first market stall, selling salads on 28 February 2018, in -6 degrees on Winchester High Street, she could have given up, or indeed any day in the following months when it then became too hot! On 10 January 2019 she opened her shop in Middle Brook Street which she shares with the Bike Hub. It has become very popular, on many levels, not just for the truly wonderful food but for the sense of place, and welcome where friends meet, work, laugh and even cry together. On 23 March 2020 the doors closed – for the time being.
She keeps coming back to her vision and the big picture so Open House Deli has gone on-line with food and supplies being delivered all round Winchester and to the surrounding villages. Which is great, I know how much her customers genuinely appreciate and value what she’s doing, but it is the daily adaptation and new ideas that are really inspiring me. She and her team have come up with new ways of working, new recipes, (the weather is changing and already we want to eat differently in the warmer days) and new ways of keeping in touch with us all ‘out here’ with daily updates.
Like the rest of us, she hasn’t been here before, and it’s her honesty and humour and her willingness to keep going, even when she’s absolutely on her knees with exhaustion that’s blown me away. We talk every day. This isn’t easy. There are many pressures on her, she’s having to learn in a hard, tough situation. As are so many.
Of course I’m far from being alone as a proud mum. But this is my family story and one thing that I hope we all get better at is taking the time to appreciate others, tell our stories, slowly, honestly, listen and be listened to. I’ve noticed the kindness with which people are listening, and even more the humility with which people are prepared to talk about their fears, worries, hopes. Often for the first time. We’re not known as a nation for being able to do this. I would not ‘normally’ write about my daughter, I love her intensely, as I do all my children. I know they know that, which I’ve always considered enough. But this is new, and I want to record it, in the middle of this pandemic.