I'm at work right now. I work for a family-owned upscale retail clothing and gift shop. My mother has owned and operated with her business partner for the past 25+ years. I've worked here for about the past 17 or so.

Before COVID, we had about 15 people on payroll; now it's just the three of us working. We're open for six hours, six days a week, with only Sunday off. It's been like that since we re-opened back in the end of May. Pretty soon after we re-opened, we were in contact with landlords about what to do regarding rent given we were closed for two months with zero income, what sort of relief or understanding was available. We were told that there would be no relief or negotiation, that all rent was due in full, and that frankly they were offended we would ask. They came around pretty quickly and we have negotiated a much more favorable lease. The absolute incompetence this management company has shown during the entire renegotiating process is nothing short of stunning, but that's been their track record during our entire relationship.

I've been in the long-term process of trying to radicalize the owners over the past few years. Fortunately, both because it's a family business and I'm an integral part of it, they're forced to listen to me. It's working to a certain extent; they both fully recognize that there's no ethical consumption in a capitalist world, which has made it clear to them how hollow a lot of the rhetoric coming from some vendors is. Both of them fully realize just how frivolous the business we operate is in the whole scheme of things. I've been calling a downturn like this for at least the past couple of years, which has seemingly left us better prepared than other businesses. Every day I come home drained and exhausted though, and the one day off I've been getting I spend much of sleeping.