AN IDEA IS FORMED

From Wikipedia;

In the narrowest sense, an idea is just whatever is before the mind when one thinks. Very often, ideas are construed as representational images; i.e. images of some object. In other contexts, ideas are taken to be concepts, although abstract concepts do not necessarily appear as images. Many philosophers consider ideas to be a fundamental ontological category of being.

The capacity to create and understand the meaning of ideas is considered to be an essential and defining feature of human beings.

In a popular sense, an idea arises in a reflex, spontaneous manner, even without thinking or serious reflection, for example, when we talk about the idea of a person or a place.

WHAT IF?

Picture if you will a man sitting in front of laptop. He is lying on the couch with his feet propped up on the coffee table. With his wife away and his kids at the neighbors he had planned on spending a leisure afternoon navigating his way through the World Wide Web. Yes, he should be relaxing. But he isn’t. You see, he purchased a diamond ring from a major online retailer for his wife’s birthday present and wouldn’t you know it was too big.

He tried calling the phone number the store had on its customer service page. In fact he had called three times only to be told by the mysterious prerecorded voice of the phone lady that “all customer service represenitives are busy helping someone else. Please try again later.” Click. And for a second he thought he heard the phone lady laughing hysterically. Nah. But too busy to help me? Again, really? I made a purchase. Don’t I count? Why should I have to keep calling back to speak to a REAL person? Years of dealing with scenarios like this had taken their toll on him and he had enough. He decided right then and there he was going to do something about it. He would open his own online retail store.

I must confess the person I’m speaking of is me. My name is Joe. Well Joe is my last name. I know. I know. But if you had to go around with a name like Middle Income American Joe III you’d use your last name too. That’s right my father and his father before him were Middle Income American Joe’s as well and we are damn proud of it too.

Anyway back to my idea. I didn’t know it but my idea had actually been formed and locked away in the deep recesses of my sub-conscience about 6 months prior to trying to return my wife’s. I don’t know this for fact but from what I’ve read this is most certainly the case. At least in my mind. He-He. Let me explain.

It was last Christmas and my wife had purchased a new laptop for me from a MAJOR retailer. She had done her due diligence (or so she thought) and was so excited she could hardly contain herself. We had been going through some very tough times. I was diagnosed with a major illness a year and a half ago and last year my wife’s hours were cut way back and we lost our insurance which her work had provided.  Oh my wife’s out shopping. Her name is Middle Income American Jane. A lovely women really. But lately I’ve noticed the stress starting to get to her. I try to keep positive for her and the kid’s sake. But I too am feeling it. Anyway back to my idea.

I had problems with the laptop from day one. It wouldn’t stay charged and it seemed to overheat. I arrived at the store my wife purchased it from with receipt in hand. Since I had my receipt it should be easy sailing right? Wrong. I stood in line for a half hour only to be greeted by a girl who looked no older than a teenager. With her mouth busy chewing gum and her fingers busily texting away we made eye contact. And she looked as happy to help me as I was happy to see her.

She seemed bothered and pre-occupied as I explained my dilemma.  Well to make a long story short (Yes I like to talk) I was informed that the laptop my wife had purchased was actually refurbished! Imagine my shock as the manager of the store, who was no happier to see me than Texting Employee Girl was, let me know it was my wife’s fault if she didn’t read the fine print in the ad explaining that all models were refurbished.

Looking back my wife and I were both upset that we were out $300.00 AND I had no laptop. However I realize now that the whole incident was probably a blessing in disguise. You see while I was having the manager explain to me that I couldn’t return the useless laptop I had a fleeting glimpse of myself sitting in a big office, behind a big desk, and it came with a sense of joy and accomplishment.

The vision was over in probably a second or two but little did I know that a vision I had, a fleeting glimpse of what the future might be, would come to light months later. Folks, that day I tried to return my laptop was the day a seed was planted in my subconscious. I assume it has been in there doing its own thing since that day I tried to return the laptop. In my brain. Planning and strategizing. And just waiting for the right moment to be reborn.  And that day was June 18^th, 2011.

My brain gave birth to an idea that day as I was on my NEW laptop trying to return my wife’s ring. And no it wasn’t painful. But I must say I know what that vision meant and what it is I’m supposed to do. My mission if you will. And that mission is to build the biggest (in terms of diversity), most efficient and consumer friendly online store the world have ever known.  With an emphasis on customer service, I mean TRUE customer service , the kind that harkens back to the old days, I will  to build our company’s foundation.

And with that in mind I invite you to join me each week as I try to take an idea from, well from an idea to a fully functioning profitable (hopefully) company. I make no promises, but can assure you I possess the two most necessary attributes to insure an endeavor like this succeeds. A strong will and determination. Paired with a desire to include my fellow Middle Income America  Joe’s and Jane’s,  I promise to listen to you and value your input. You will not only be following this diary but I will be asking you for YOUR input as I build this company. Your input is what will help shape and mold our company.  And when you visit our site you will know that however big or small, your input helped in taking a man’s idea and making it a reality. I refer to the site as OUR site. And when you think about it really is “our site” and “our company” and soon we will all be able to look back on a job well done!

Oh one more thing. Perhaps the most important point I’ve made thus far. NIZBO’s coming.

Well that’s all for this week. Please be respectful, honest and loving human beings. And I’ll see you next week.

Middle Income American Joe III