Article by Nadine Sheridan

The LateBlooming Gardener, Michael Behen By: Nadine Sheridan

I

n the hot sun, Micheal Behen works in the garden. Working overtime, hour after hour, day after day, weekends, and weekdays, a tiring schedule indeed. Yet, look closely and you will see something unusual stirred in his motions, his expressions.

A light smile flashed on his face, movements filled with intent and rigor. He “took to gardening like a jazz musician,” a

friend of Behen described “It became everything” (Behen). However, this gift that has now become so ingrained as part of Behen’s personality, wasn’t always present in his life.

Michael Behen is a man who risked his stable and financially supportive career in order to pursue his passion, rather than become imprisoned in a line of work he had no interest in. “53% of American workers don’t find their job fulfilling most of the time” (Horowitz and Parker). A silent crisis that is affecting over half of Americans. Those who spend the majority of their day forcing themselves to do something they don’t want to do. Many people are paralyzed by the fear of having to give up all of their past experience and credentials in order to pursue a passion. However, Behen’s story shows how feeling fulfilled can be worth the hardships and lead to a better, happier life. Behen was able to recognize that the risks of changing your career can lead to a better life and more success. People feel pressure to stay because leaving would mean all their hard work was for nothing.

However, the “average age for making a career change is 39” (Douglas), though many people don’t realize it isn’t uncommon to trade your job for a new one.

Making the Switch

O

ne of the hardest things Behen had to do was face the risk of

changing his job. He had a stable career in commercial photography. He was

getting paid to do something that he was proficient at. So why leave? Well, he always knew that he was not meant for it.“There were days I thought I’d cry on the train going to work,” he said. Still, changing careers was not an easy choice. Living in San Francisco provided an extra challenge. First, rent was obnoxiously high. Why risk your job when it means risking your rent money, your home.

Secondly, there was a lot of pressure to be part of the internet revolution. Behen had a stable job, and he knew trading it would bring about new challenges and most likely more work, but he knew that he had to leave.

“I knew I didn’t like it because I could see other people who loved it.”

- Micheal Behen Micheal Behen grew up in suburban Peekskill, New York. Surrounded by White Oaks and Eastern White Pines, his childhood is filled with fond memories of playing in trees; he enjoyed his time, but never really got into gardening. As an adult he went into landscape photography using film. This meant more time outside as

had

never been employed in the gardening industry, he was

learn the tools of the trade. When the manager of Mandeville Garden Companies was ready to retire, Behen was offered the job. Though it meant less hands-on work and more paperwork, he took the job and is currently working as the boss today.

Planting in the Present

well as in the woods.

However, his freedom from the rising digital age all changed when he moved to California in 1997. As the digital revolution grew in the heart of Silicon Valley, film photography became outdated and digital photography became the new norm. Exp nsive housing also meant that he needed a stable job with a better income. It seemed the only thing left for Behen to do was to become a commercial photographer and photo editor for a magazine. “But I hated it,” Behen said. This wasn’t the right job for him, it would never be. But there wasn’t anything else for him to do.

A few years later, he began volunteering to restore the Arizona Garden at Stanford. He started looking forward to the weekends because that was the time that he could truly devote himself to gardening. Unexpectedly, another volunteer gave him a job offer, as a gardener. Though he

quick to

B

ehen finds much enjoyment in his job designing and maintaining gardens. He has dealt with some

tough customers, where they are

too

specific about what they

want, or too

vague. Though

dealing with

some tough clients, he

has found much enjoyment in his day-to-day life. Behen

started lifting and people felt more comfortable

is able to work with people to bring a beautiful garden

interacting with others again, they found even more

they had in their mind to life. One of Behen’s workers

business though people who wanted their home to be

explained, “he was the one who managed resolving those

beautiful as they were now spending more time in it. Not

issues, and I think he did a good job of doing that, just

to mention, some of their current clients wanted them to

kind of maintaining calm coolness and just kind of

come by more often. As a result, business increased.

ensuring that the customer ended up being satisfied with whatever the situation was” (Smart).

One of the hardest crises he had to face was that of

Today, Behen’s biggest problem is finding workers in the area as most people looking for jobs around the area are looking for jobs in programming. Since taking on such

the pandemic. As with many businesses, Micheal wasn’t

a high leadership position, the job has been very stressful

able to send workers or get new clients during this time.

for him too, but he still enjoys organizing his workers and

He was able to support his workers though generous

designing gardens. Originally, he had plans to move back

clients that continued to pay him. They endured and soon

to San Francisco, but the Pandemic hindered his plans.

they were able to start up their business again, earlier

Still, Behen hopes to move back someday. Behen is very

than most because they would work outside and just

glad that he left his old job saying, “as soon as I started

made sure to stay apart from others and wear a mask.

gardening, I realized it was worth it and now I realize now

This was a big relief for everyone. When more restrictions

after all this time it was worth the sacrifice to do it.”

About the Author

Nadine is an Animation Student at Freestyle Academy. She enjoys drawing birds and hanging out with friends. Outside of school she does Science Olympiad as

part of the Mountain View High School team (her favorite events are Forestry and Experimental Design). She also teaches volleyball to kids though volunteering at USYVL, where she has gotten very good at receiving passes by 7 - 8 year olds.