When I was about 11 years old, I was playing on an ice-covered lake with a group of my friends. We were taking turns riding on a sled while the others pulled it. When the sled got up enough speed, they would let go, and you would just sail across the lake. As we did this for an hour or so with each turn, we moved further across the lake. When it was my turn, all went well and soon I was sailing across the frozen lake. When the sled stopped, I went to get off and that’s when I heard the cracking sound. I guess we had ventured into an area of the lake that was not frozen solid. I remembered my boy scout training about spreading out your weight on the ice, so I laid down flat. The ice cracked again. I started to move slowly. More cracking and louder. I continued dragging myself across the ice, but each time I moved, there was more cracking as the ice splintered. Finally, I panicked, stood up, and tried to make a run for it. I only made it a few steps, before I crashed through the ice into the freezing darkness.
I do not remember everything, but I know it was very fast, very black and very cold. I tried to locate the hole that I fell through, but I could not find it. I remember banging on the ice again and again, but I was not strong enough to breakthrough. I never wanted air so much in my life. That day I was truly blessed. One of my friends after seeing me fall through the ice had crawled out to the hole and saw my arm go by. He grabbed me and pulled me out. I tell this story to relate the feeling that I had when I fell through the ice. It happened fast, it was unknown, scary, my life was hanging in the balance, it was out of my control and the outcome was uncertain. It is a frightening thing, to say the least.
Well, this last year has been just like that for many businesses. Entrepreneurs have seen their whole life’s work canceled and shut down, their livelihoods ruined, their savings depleted, dreams dashed, and their futures thrown into doubt. Their oxygen-deprived businesses were put on life support. It takes guts to weather something like this. It takes strength and determination to come back from it. Many of us are beginning to do just that. We are your local businesses, your neighbors, your customers, and your friends. We are coming back, and we need your support.
