Failed Dreams

On a Country Road
Another slides past the window of the car. This was once an antique shop; boarded up now, with weeds growing in the sidewalk and the gravel parking lot. No one wants even the skeleton of the business that is left. At one time, perhaps 20 years ago, this was someone’s dream. This was their way out of a dull and boring existence. They knew about local antiques, and people drove past all the time, big city people who really knew nothing about the local things. They were from “up north” and were looking for something to put in their apartments to tell their friends about over cocktails, something to remind them of their week in the hill country. It seemed like it couldn’t fail.
In the preceding 50 miles, there were a surprising number of failed businesses, just like this but offering something else for sale. Some parts of the country seem to foster them more than others. The deserts have a lot of buildings that once held the highest expectations of someone, their dreams, their egos, and their money. It seemed like a good idea at the time. So much traffic, so many people who really needed what was on offer. In retrospect, it maybe wasn’t the greatest business prospect. But none of the friends were good enough friends to tell the dreamer what they really thought. So, now, the skeleton is still there, no for sale sign is even visible, the last one of those blew away years ago. The most surprising are the stone buildings that must have taken an enormous amount of effort and time and resources to construct. Now derelict and going downhill quickly. The guts, everything but the stone is completely gone.
I’m sad when I see these old businesses, business failures really. But I should be delighted. Think about the excitement, the reality that someone had, the work and money and self they invested. They really thought they could be successful. There are dreams enough for us all still out there.