As a business reporter, I know that behind every business is a dream – an idea that has taken root and grown into something real. It’s hard to capture the magnitude of the pain when all of it collapses. It’s hard to find ways to communicate those experiences, but it needs doing, if only so that people can understand how to help each other.
The range of stories to be told at a time like this is enough to make anyone dizzy. I spent last weekend covering the unfolding drama of a Hixson man who built a small business reselling stuff on Amazon. He became a villain overnight when the New York Times shared the story of his stash of hand sanitizer and the exorbitant prices he was getting for it online. I ended up sitting with him on the floor of an empty storage unit as he wept in regret and fear.
I also wrote this week about the dead-as-a-doornail St. Patrick’s Day scene at local bars, talked with folks who pour drinks and serve food and create communities for a living. We’re all in real trouble, but they’re on its front lines. I’ve covered the collapsing convention scene and small business owners worried that closing will end their livelihoods. As this crisis unfolds, this is where I’ll be. Keep in touch. Reach me at mfortune@timesfreepress.com or follow me on Twitter at @maryfortune.
– Mary Fortune, business reporter and EDGE Magazine editor
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