After finally reaching the shores of America, a Russian immigrant searched for employment in order to support his family. He resolved to open a small shop. A friend advised him that in order to attract customers, he should advertise his shop by placing a catchy sign on the storefront. Following his friend’s advice, he ordered a large sign that read, “Grand Opening,” and affixed it for all to see.
The next day, the immigrant observed a significant crowd gathered around a particular shop. Taking a closer look at what was causing such an attraction, he noticed a bright-colored sign on the store window. Although he could not read English, he noticed that on this sign there were more words than he had on his shop’s storefront. “I should get a sign just like that one,” he thought to himself, as he carefully jotted down the words on a piece of paper. Immediately he ordered a sign to be ready the following day.
The next morning, adjacent to his “Grand Opening” sign he proudly affixed his new sign reading, “Going Out of Business.”
“Some people are working backstage, some are playing in the orchestra, some are on stage singing, some are in the audience as critics and some are there to applaud. Know who and where you are.”
[Chicken Soup To Warm The Neshama]
