There is a deep sadness I can’t run away from as friends and colleagues I’ve known for years have been forced to shutter their little businesses: pizza parlors, barber shops, pet stores and more.
These are individuals with great courage. They followed their dreams. They went into credit card debt to finance worthy business ventures. Over decades, they worked 60-hour weeks to stay afloat. They hired good people and paid fair wages while providing a unique service to their communities.
Three nights ago, I listened to a friend I’ll call Mitch. In 1997, Mitch opened a small addiction treatment center in a rural community in the Midwest. He was in his ninth year of recovery and saw the need to assist others in a fashion like he was helped years earlier.
The site struggled from the beginning. Mitch had the support of his wife and several dedicated counselors, but each year was a battle for survival. Yet, over the years, hundreds of men and women found hope and direction in the old, converted house on the edge of town.
Mitch was forced to close his doors for good on July 15.
It’s a tough time for so many of my heroes.