Tuesday, November 4, 2008

It's SNOT Okay

I’ve got nothing, nothing to give to this blog today. I have a vicious cold. My head feels like a giant ball of snot. I sneezed all over my co-worker today and I feel awful about that.

A new jewelry store opened down the street in the hollow shell of the old one despite my ardent desire that the a sweet little man from Mongolia NOT pour his hopes and dreams into that miserable, blighted strip of pavement thereby forever ruining his family’s chances of ever making it in this country.

Now he’s taken to putting key merchandise on a table in front of the store and standing next to it, hour after hour, hoping this will attract customers. No chair, he just stands. How am I supposed to handle this?? It’s enough to make me cry. Okay, I am crying. Why must he do it?

There’s a new neon sign up, attracting NO ONE. NO ONE. Neon isn’t cheap. Did he not realize this store has been 8 different things in 8 years? Why did he think he’d be any different? I just want him to run. Cut his losses before it’s too late. Why pull the scab off slowly, when quickly would be so much better?

I put a silver chain on my Christmas list so Tom can throw this guy a bone, but I can’t even bear to go in there myself. What will I see in his eyes? A ray of hope? Aargh.

So many businesses and restaurants are going to fail in the next few years. I just don’t think I can take it. Too many broken hopes and dreams. Truth be told, the new “Pet Spaw” down the road is more likely to make it than this jewelry store.

I need to go blow my nose.

5 comments:

Marinka said...

That's sort of heartbreaking. It was nice of you to put a chain on your Christmas list to help this guy out. Maybe you should put lots more jewelry on the list, just to be safe.

Kate Coveny Hood said...

Oh - I'm sorry Anna. I know how you feel. I hate to see dreams crushed. I have strong emotional ties to underdogs.

Shana said...

We have the same thing in our neighborhood. We are two blocks from "Uptown Village" in downtown Vancouver, WA and the businesses come and go pretty frequently. It is sad. I do my best to support them and shop locally, but it's hard sometimes.

Sounds like you need to go rest up. You don't feel good and that doesn't help.

Rebecca said...

You're right. We're going to have some hard times in the next year or so, maybe longer.

Sometimes I feel like life is filled with heartbreak and I have to choose which ones I will let in to my heart and which ones I block out.

I hope you feel better!

Debbie said...

I know exactly how you feel. I watch the same thing happening and it breaks my heart. You watch the hard work and hopes of people just get dashed. I think it could so easily be me that thinks "Hey, I could do this!" because I can let my dreams run wild. You are very kind.