The average American worker will have a career spanning 45 years, which equates to about 13 years of continuous work done in a lifetime. What can you accomplish with that amount of time? That same average American will have 12 jobs in their lifetime, spending only about four years at each. But a very special few buck the trend, dedicating most – or all – of those years to a single calling, and in the process, leave a very special mark on their community.
On Thursday, we stopped by Ted’s Flower Basket in downtown Sanford to congratulate one such person. Edward Coggins started arranging and delivering flowers 45 years ago, and since then, has spent a career making Sanford a brighter place to live. His work has touched many of us at key points in our lives, from weddings to funerals to birthdays and more. We should all be grateful to him, and to people like him, who have made themselves a reliable part of the foundation of our community, building (or in his case, growing) a unique legacy. His reward – aside from the cookies from Millie’s Mama Bakes we brought him – is appreciation and celebration by a city and county who have gotten decades of joy from his work.
That kind of longevity isn’t just reserved to individuals. A career may be about 45 years, but many of our area’s businesses have already far exceeded that. This year, Adcock Real Estate celebrates 50 years, and Dossenbach’s Finer Furniture will ring in 80. They’re not alone; everywhere you turn in Sanford and Lee County, there are businesses that have stood the test of time, sticking with it through ups and downs, and always ready to help make our community stronger.
The events we do most at SAGA are Ribbon Cuttings; just this past week we had one, and there’s already four more on the books for September. It’s great to celebrate new businesses – they are, after all, someone’s new entrepreneurial dream come true, a vote of confidence in our community, a new option for our residents, and so much more. But we are just as proud of our local mainstays that have stood the test of time, and don’t plan on going anywhere any time soon. They’re the proof that Sanford and Lee County didn’t become great places to live, work, and do business overnight; our success today is the result of decades of slow and steady work from those who came before.
So, as we celebrate Edward, Adcock, Dossenbach’s, and a host of others who have spent the years making our community a stronger place, we encourage you to let us at SAGA know about the people and businesses who deserve the same recognition. They’ve done the hard work; it’s our turn to show them how much it means to us.