I have simply had enough with the keyboard commandos. The brave souls hiding behind their computer screens. To those who want us to stay shut down, I appreciate your comments. However what are we small business owners supposed to do? (Note, my situation is exactly the same as many other small, self employed people in our community, I speak with them every day. They are in the same boat and my post reflects their situation too).
I, like a lot (but not all) businesses were ordered shut down March 16. My business operates on a shoestring budget because I charge a fair price but not overly excessive or over priced, although my competitors do, but it provided for my family and I have been doing this since high school . It provided a valuable and needed service to the community, and treated hundreds of patients a year, in fact looking back, I filled about 300,000 or more prosthetic prescriptions from doctors for patients since I started. But I was considered by the wizards of smart as non-essential. Tell that to my patients and my doctor clients. To date since the ordered shutdown I have not received a single cent, not one penny of any promised program. NOT ONE CENT. We were told the shutdown was 2 weeks. OK, I was game. Count me in to do my part. Then it became a month, now it will be going on two months. My business still had fixed expenses that had to be met, and equipment that must run 24/7 whether we use it or not. It cannot be shut off. My wife had cancer, my daughter had cancer and is still taking chemo treatments (oral treatments, not too bad for side effects but expensive). We already wiped out our savings in doctor bills long ago, but I never complained, I did what I had to do, and that was earn enough to support my family without my hand out looking for government help.
Again, let me repeat this: We were promised if we did our part, they would have programs to keep us solvent. I did my part, and to date NOT A PENNY. I will not be able to open and survive if this goes past May 1. I may not be able to open either way on May 1 but holding my breath and crossing my fingers. Yes, the extra week or two beyond that is truly going to make the difference between bankruptcy and surviving. You also should know that I have to take CEU classes on infection control every year, as do the doctors we work with. So I am well prepared to handle whatever comes into the lab. I also work by myself, now because of wife and daughter's cancer, they haven't come into the lab for their own safety since they were diagnosed, even though the lab is as sanitized as any prosthetics lab can be, and always has been. So I work by myself and have a few delivery folks, that's all now. A far cry from the 21 lab techs I used to employ.
Today I read more than a few of my 'friends' post that say people like me need to suck it up, stay home and not complain, that it would be better safe than dead. That's nice, coming from people who are still working, receiving social security, disability, a pension or unemployment checks. Easy for you to arrogantly denigrate those of us who don't have a penny coming in, you condescending bastards.
So, people can say 'suck it up', or they can say I am greedy, a capitalist pig, or they can say I am ignorant for wanting to work. No, the reality is I would like to retire. I should have retired 5 years ago. But from wife and daughter's cancer treatments and this shut down my nestegg is gone. Anyway, enough of my rant, I could go on. But, just like applying for government bailouts..I'd get the same results; nothing, so what's the use? 43 years in this business going down the drain. Really, down the drain.
So all the folks who are still getting paychecks, unemployment or are retired, that's great. I'm happy for you. But don't dare criticize my need to get back to work and don't mistake my wanting to get back to work as being foolish, greedy or selfish unless you know the facts and the situation.
No matter how bad things got in business, or how costly cancer treatments were, I never once, not a single time complained, never asked for assistance and never told anyone how it nearly ruined us financially even with good insurance. We never complained and always gave freely to those who needed. I just never complained, minded my own business and didn't burden anyone with my problems. I kept my warped sense of humor and my charitable spirit intact no matter what life threw at me and I wasn't going to complain about this shutdown either, just grin and bare it. But frankly I am disgusted by some of the comments I have seen people post. Time to let it fly.
If you disagree with me, do me a favor, unfriend me now. I'm sick of reading comments from people who are getting checks telling us how we are evil for wanting to work.
