I just met a very impressive woman who worked for 40 years in textiles. She ran the sewing floor of a upscale blouse company. I met her when I needed a skirt taken up and she was recommended for impeccable alterations. What I got was a beautifully fitted skirt and a new friend. She told me that when she lost her husband a few years ago she realized that retirement was not all it was cracked up to be. She felt lonely and unneeded. Then a long time friend suggested opening her own alterations business and a sewing star was born! Doris is the most amazing woman, she enriched my life in the first 20 minutes of the fitting. I was impressed. First of all the light in her eyes belies her age...the quality of her work is unmatched. She is fulfilled, making new friends everyday and with each sewing job she dispenses a bit of her own brand of wisdom. If you find yourself in the same boat, turn your talents into a viable source of income and fun. Believe in yourself, you have so much to offer this world of complicated projects, dysfunctional families, and global uncertainty. You have been there before. Share your recipe for success with others and hang out your very own shingle.