I know. Sometimes I can be too much. But I’m a lot, and so I should be. Why should we apologize for being exactly what we are. Being a lot has gotten us through some pretty difficult times. And we’re going through some difficult times now. Again.
Chapter 1 might have been a little difficult to grasp. It is an analysis. A process of understanding what has happened, what we did, and how we did it. The Long Goodbye is my way of saying I hope we never have to say goodbye, but just in case that is the outcome of this experiment of small business survival, all the things that needed to be said will have been said.
It is a process, not an event. This is reality though. The numbers tell the story but the heart refuses to believe. And so she thinks there must be another way to the other side.
Aside from being a love letter, The Long Goodbye is a huge clearance event. Sale. It’s a universal word. But gone are the days when a sale sign on the street and a closing announcement will bring shoppers because there is no one on the street and the social media highway is a busy place where those who can afford to pay are seen.
Unless you are already looking for me . . .
This is not an overnight event. It’s a process of saying goodbye, with the faint hope that the little shoppe survives in a world of Goliaths.
Time is of the essence, because living on life support is not a sustainable solution. And so I think about you from morning to night. Each morning I settle onto my couch with my dog and my first cup of coffee. It’s quiet. The day is ahead of me. Anything can happen. I am hopeful. Most nights I am on the other side of the spectrum because the days are never long enough for my aspirations.
To be patient and remain calm in the eye of the storm
“. . . Patience”, I tell myself. “Patience. Have faith that someone is listening.”
To be patient, have patience and to be a patient. Patience is a noun - and to be patient is a verb, but a patient is a person receiving medical care . . . I guess all 3 apply.
But time is of the essence in matters of the heart.
Last weekend was so great. Thank you. I loved meeting you and watching you enjoy the experience of in person shopping - the old school way.
I was able to pay an invoice for a collection from Italy. While I was at the bank, the woman who was processing my wire transfer - which was difficult because it was written in Italian - told me she buys shoes from her country.
I was speechless. It felt like I was stabbed in the heart. Do we not hear themselves? Do we not know?
But then I have to remember this is the world - the global economy, where the idea of a local business serving a local community and its people are a fledgling concept.
And I am reminded of why we are where we are. That we tried our best, and we are trying but we are a mere drop in the ocean . . .
ZÖE