A Labor of Love

Tomorrow is my last day at Andalusia and, therefore, it seems appropriate that my final blog post should come on Valentine’s Day.  Let me say at the outset how much I’ve enjoyed writing this blog and how grateful I am to our former director, Craig Amason, for giving me the opportunity to do so.  The blog has been a wonderful creative outlet and I’ve had a lot of fun with it.  Thanks to all of you who have been gracious enough to read it and share your thoughtful and insightful comments.  Thanks, most of all, to Craig for hiring me as Visitor Services Manager.  The 4 ½ years I’ve been at Andalusia have been some of the most memorable of my life.  Little did I imagine when I visited the farm for the first time in June, 2009 that I would soon be working here.  Talk about a dream job!  How many former English majors get to work at the home of their favorite writer?  During my time at Andalusia I have been privileged to meet many distinguished artists, writers, and scholars. However, it is the regular folks who love Flannery and visit Andalusia daily that I will miss the most.  They are the ones whose passion for O’Connor’s work has energized me and made this job so rewarding.  It has been a good run and I take with me memories that will last a lifetime.  Be assured of my best hopes for Andalusia’s future.   I will miss it more than I’m probably aware of at the moment.  What more can I say?  Working at Andalusia has been nothing less than a labor of love.
- Mark