Happy Spring!
by Jack Guarnieri, Jersey Jack Pinball & PinballSales.com
April showers bring May flowers, right? We’ve all heard that before, but have you ever stopped to think about what that really means? It does rain a lot in April but statistics say June is actually the wettest month in the U.S. Even so, the rain in April will bring the flowers of May and if you don’t believe me, there’s a song that Al Jolsen brought out in 1921 that says just that.
Aside from nurturing the blooms of nature, you can look at it in another way: Sometimes you go through some pain or sacrifice to enjoy the good times (the flowers). We all go through rough times. Whether it’s a business, a family or relationships, nothing seems to go easy for too long. There is always a bump or a pothole along the road of life.
Speaking of that, how do you deal with the everyday roadway? If I’m driving, there are definitely some mumbles as I navigate the twists and turns. We all have to deal with negative things and I think it’s best to try to turn those lemons into Limoncello. Patience may be a virtue but I feel the Covid episode increased the number of people wanting immediate satisfaction like an Amazon delivery (developing a short temper along the way).
My advice is to have patience with other people. Take a deep breath. If you have co-workers or employees who frustrate you, try communicating better. Talk to customers as if they are your valued family members. And, be sure to treasure your relationships because we don’t know how long we will have them.
For many, spring is a time of the year to reflect, prepare for renewal and to be grateful and thankful for what you have. There will always be people who have more or less than you but what’s important is to be thankful for your health, your job, your friends and family. Nothing is perfect, even if we strive for it.
Re-evaluate about your priorities. There’s a difference between what you want and what you need. Think about how you can help others and then act. Don’t just wish or hope for something. Put those thoughts into action.
Twelve years ago, I thought about starting a new pinball manufacturing company. I put those thoughts into action! Fast forward to today, and we have a thriving pinball industry with not one but more than 10 designing games today. I guess you could say that with this year’s April showers, it’s raining new pinball machines!
Who would have thought that pinball would make such a comeback? (Well, having started a pinball company, the answer would be me!) When I founded Jersey Jack Pinball, I said on a pinball podcast that I hoped that one day there would be 50 companies making pinball machines. We’re not at that level, but it’s all good.
I’ll be honest, it wasn’t easy but the water is nice and warm now. As I write this, I’m packing to go to ENADA in Rimini, Italy, where I’ll be in Luxury Games’ booth (they’re my distributor) with Francesco and his team showing off The Godfather 50th Anniversary game. I’ll get to smell the flowers and eat the cannoli.
Remember, even when it rains, every cloud has a silver lining. The rainy days build character and even if you get soaked, keep putting one foot in front of the other. The sun will come out, better days will come and you’ll smile again. You can never lose if you don’t give up.
Happy Spring.
Jack Guarnieri started servicing electro-mechanical pinball machines in 1975 and has been involved in every phase of the amusement game business since then. He was an operator in NYC, then began a distributorship in 1999, PinballSales.com, selling coin-op to the consumer market. In January of 2011, he founded Jersey Jack Pinball (named after his RePlay Magazine pen name), which builds award-winning, full-featured, coin-op pinball machines. Email Jack at jack@ jerseyjackpinball.com.
