Innkeeper's Story

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A Son's Perspective

from Windflower Inn

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(This story was written by our son who grew up in
the Inn Business.)

In 1980 my parents and maternal grandparents
decided to go into business together as
innkeepers. December of that year they opened the
doors of the Windflower Inn. One of the most
common questions I get is, “what is it like,
growing up at an inn?” It is home, the only home
I’ve had. I couldn’t imagine growing up anywhere
else.

My father is a craftsman of the Inn. He’s gotten
job offers from the plumber, electrician, and the
roofer. He’s always done his own carpentry,
gardening and landscaping. There is always
something that needs fixing at the Windflower, and
as the building dates back to the early 1800s, a
fair bit of imagination is often required for the
repairs. I learned early on, the value of working
with one’s hands and rationally coming up with
solutions for difficult problems. I have a great
respect for craftsmen and tradesmen, and I feel
they are under appreciated by far too many.

Despite the general lack of diversity and cultural
exchange among the citizens of Berkshire County,
Massachusetts, it is a tourist destination and
through the Inn I have been introduced to cultures
from around the world. From the eccentric English
wife of a Greek shipping magnate and an Australian
Labradoodle breeder, I have literally enjoyed a
world culture peepshow from my living room. I grew
up in a nexus of diversity in a region of mostly
white middleclass small town society dating back
to the early colonial times where you’re not truly
local unless you’re 5th generation

My culture and character have been forged through
my life at the Windflower Inn. I view it as an
integral a part of my family that ties us together
unlike any other family I know. Unlike the
stereotype of many western cultures, I grew up in
a household with both parents and grandparents.
The Inn instilled in me a need to see the world
through glimpses and tastes of different cultures.
It shaped my perspective on industry and politics.
It has guided my path through education. I
couldn’t imagine growing up anywhere else, nor
would I ever want to. Without the Inn, I do not
know who I would be.

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