Stumbling blocks or chances to climb?

This is my attempt at optimism, being Eeyore not Tigger, it’s not my natural state.   So, the initial grant application did not come through.  Blast and botheration!  The reason was microscopic, but undeniable, so we have made changes and resubmitted.  Although that might not seem like too much of a stumbling block, it does rather delay everything we want and had planned to do in the autumn.  Also, having been knocked back once, our confidence has taken a bit of a hit and we are reluctant to set anything in stone without the assurance that cash is coming.  Having no funds is less of a stumbling block and more of a giant boulder.

Which is where my second metaphor, and hopefully the old Scottish stubbornness, kick in.  Faced with the decision to carry on with the café and food festival come autumn, or to sit, wait and circle the drain of despair, Filling the Gap N15 has decided to take the high road, ‘climb every mountain’ and use this giant sized boulder in our way as an opportunity to climb.  In other words, we’re going to do it anyway – so there!  The tiny profit we had accrued from the pilots will serve to facilitate the food festival and we will just have to open the café in September with nothing but loyal customers and a keen sense of willingness.  Certainly, the much desired equipment and big party (can’t really call it a grand opening event anymore, but we will celebrate) will have to wait, but we have coped up until now and we will prevail.  The café and business mean too much to us to cave in at this latest and largest of hurdles, even if it is a huge one.  If it doesn’t work, then at least we’ll know we went down fighting.  Yet at the heart of it all, we still truly believe that it can and it will.  This will be enough to drive us one and I am eternally grateful that our families aren’t entirely financially reliant on us yet.  That which doesn’t kill me makes me stronger!