OPINION: "I make magic happen'
May 25—Natalie Bowers lives in the fast lane.
She is always passing go and collecting $200. Seldom does she stop to take a break.
"I wake up and repeat," the 46-year-old New London resident said. "If we don't evolve in life, we just remain static. We don't grow and we need to. The creativity process should never leave you.
"You always have to be doing something. That is what keeps you going. Your mind has to keep working. Nobody wants to remain static."
Three years ago, Bowers left her job of 23 years with a local lawyer's office (Lynch, White and Jackson attorneys) to become a full-time photographer.
She is going to open her own shop next month in uptown Norwalk, while running the Park Place — a restaurant/dairy bar in New London's Recreation Park.
Two jobs. Two children. Two grandchildren.
But what does she do in her spare time?
The restaurant is off to a fast start this spring.
"Oh my gosh, it's been wonderful," she said. "Our small town has supplied so much in support for my business and employees. This week starts off the next month with at least four or five games a night. Friday night is men's league.
"I sell Dalton Farms burgers and I do hand-cut fries and the best seller right now is the peanut butter shakes and strawberry shakes. Smoothies. Toft's ice cream ... eight different kinds all of the time. Along with the usual dairy stuff.
"I sell my cakes with a scoop of ice cream. It is delicious. It really is."
Why the restaurant business?
"I have a love for baking," Bowers said. "I have a love for cooking. When this opportunity arose, I talked to my husband (Ricky). It is the opportunity for my son to work on his adult-life skills. My son is my go-to. He doesn't cook but he is my fill-in for everything.
"We will close sometime in October. One of my struggles is most of my employees are multi-sport athletes. I have girls in all sports and band. That limits me in when I can schedule them. Sam will be a junior at South Central High School and he will start football in August."
With the restaurant in full swing, Bowers said she will start accepting clients in her Norwalk studio on the Benedict Avenue hill in mid-June.
Why photography?
"The passing of a loved one always makes you think," she said. "When Alex was in eighth grade my mom passed away and I wanted to make sure I captured all of her moments. It just evolved from sports to portraits to seniors to weddings. That moved into fine-art studio portraits and women's and men's portraiture.
"Capture who we are. How we look. How we feel. Empower the moment now and not worry about how we looked 10 years ago. Capture the moment. My focus when I open the studio will be the fine-art, women's boudoir and senior photography.
"It takes me a while to shoot and edit. It takes me some time. Hones in on how you look today and the features you have. I make magic happen."
Natalie and Ricky, a lineman for Firelands Electric, have two children, Alex Robson, 26, and Sam, 16.
Alex and Mason Robson have two children, Vinny, 5, and Evie, 2.
"I watch my (grand)kids in my spare time a couple times a week," Natalie said. "I garden and I have two bee hives."
As if she wasn't busy enough.
Joe Centers is Reflector community editor. He can be reached at jcenters@norwalkreflector.com.
