text: Around two o’clock, a guy walked in. He might’ve been thirty. He had this huge coat on even though it was early summer. He stared at a few items before shuffling up to the counter. “You guys must be taking a real beating. I hear its hard out there.” “Well,” I said, “we’ve seen downturns like this before, and we’ve made always made it through.” “Yeah, but it’s tough out there. I hope you’ve got some savings built up.” I gave up trying to fold t-shirts. I couldn’t focus. “We’re lucky to have a loyal group of customers who’ve always supported us. We’re grateful for their patronage, especially in hard times.” The guy pulled an apple out of his coat pocket and took a bite. “Yeah, but what if *they* don’t have savings? That pool of money’s got to dry up sometime, right? It’s pretty hard to run a business on luck.” “I’m sorry, but I need to grab a few things from the back.” He nodded as I stepped into the storeroom, punching the first box of packing peanuts within reach. I cursed quietly when I returned to the register and found him lingering nearby. “So, what kind of revenue does a place like this pull in?” he asked. “You got angel investors or something?” “I don’t know off the top of my head.” “Is it seasonal? How many people want this stuff year-round?” He took another bite from his apple. “Sir, please don’t eat in here.” “Oh, oops.” He tossed his snack in the trash. “I didn’t see any--” I pointed out the conspicuous sign he’d missed. “Got it. Well, I really hope you guys make it a long time. In Europe, there are businesses that have been running for hundreds of years. I bet, with the right management, this store could be just like that. You know, I hear they’re shutting down this whole street for a year to do some sewer work.” “Yes, but this strip of stores will still have accessible parking a short walk away.” “Who walks anymore? In five years, everybody’s going to have one of those things. You know....” He tried to pantomime his way through the description. “One of those mall cop things that rolls. The burbs are at least five miles from here. That’s too far for anyone to scoot to this side of town--not in traffic.” I tried to force a smile. “If anyone’s brave enough to try, we’ll be happy to accommodate them.” “But they’d have to duck to get in here. If I were you, I’d knock out more of that wall and make the doorway higher. In the long run, you’d be better off relocating. These old buildings are so restrictive. Open layouts--that’s the future.” “Sir, I have a lot of things to do today. I need to handle those tasks now. You’re welcome to keep looking around.” “Maybe I was about to buy something.” “You weren’t.” “Yeah, all this junk is overpriced anyway.