Why is it important to support Mom-and-Pop shops?

Mom-and-Pop shops come in many forms, from restaurants to bookstores to automotive repair centers. Each one brings unique products, services and knowledge to your local community.

To have any shot at a full recovery, restaurants owners and retailers need as many Americans as possible to have shots in their arm. A fully vaccinated public is the ONLY way to reopen at full capacity—especially indoors. Yet the very people who have most vocally objected to marketplace shutdowns refuse to participate in marketplace reopening. At this time, over 40% of Americans are saying they will not get the vaccine because they don’t trust the government or believe there is no medical reason to receive the shot.

Lessons learned from the 1918 Spanish Flu

Imagine if we could talk to someone who lived through the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, the lessons we could learn. That is impossible, of course, but I started thinking—what if someone in the future wanted to speak to a survivor of the COVID pandemic of 2020? As one such survivor (at least so far), here are some lessons I have learned, a sort of time capsule for the future if you will.

After returning from my family vacation to Florida, there is one thing I can tell you: this Southern state is one, big, massive contradiction. In many parts of the state, things feel like COVID-19 is on its way out the door, people celebrating under a purple haze of food, fun, and complete denial there was ever a virus among us. All parks and beaches are open at 100% capacity. The state has lifted all capacity restriction, so COVID safety protocols seem to have disappeared.

Ah--but not so fast….

Florida Here I Come!

Today, I board a plane filled with spring-breakers and travel to Florida to meet up with my daughter, son-in-law, and most importantly, my beautiful grandson (sorry Dr. Fauci, but I can’t help myself).