Sitting In An Empty Shop

In a chair in the middle of our empty bicycle shop...after fifteen minutes of feeling my separation from my previous 31 years as bike shop owner, I realize...the most important thing is that I had the best customers in the world. People interested in outdoor quiet mountain sports. People devoted to exercise. People interested in sharing their stories about mingling with nature. People steeped in the positives of everyday adventures. People who wanted to help me get the word out...Life Is Good! What other business can attract these kind of people? We had our 'down and out' characters but we almost always made their day better...with free flat repair or rusty chain improvements. We were 'there' for people, we listened, we empathized and we offered help.