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When Life Suddenly isn’t the Same Anymore. Saying Goodbye to My Local Bakery
Will we ever escape this corporate torment?
The neighborhood is in mourning. My life will never be the same. The bakery next to my house is out of business after 148 years.
It was most definitely unexpected and unwelcome news. One day — about a month ago — I went for a walk with the dog and noticed that all the employees were gathered in the store on a Monday morning — the day the bakery is usually closed.
They didn’t look happy. Back home, I told my wife I felt something was wrong.
“You shouldn’t always assume the worst,” she said. “I am sure there is a plausible explanation. And, by the way, don’t forget to buy an extra baguette tomorrow.”
But I didn’t smell freshly baked bread drifting in over the wall at the end of the garden when I woke up the next morning.
And the sign on the door confirmed my worst fears.
Dear valued customer,
We regret to inform you that our bakery has closed its doors permanently. As a fifth-generation family-owned business, we have made the difficult but necessary decision to move on to other endeavors and spend more time with our loved ones.
We are grateful for the opportunity to have served you over the years and provided you with delicious, locally sourced bread made from the finest ingredients. It has been an honor to be a part of your lives, and we appreciate your patronage.
Thank you for your loyalty and support.
Sincerely,
The owners and management of your biological bakery.
So, that was it. All that was left were the memories and a big void — both in my stomach and my community — that could not easily be filled.
Farewell to freshly baked baguettes and a community of culture and quality. All gone in a single heartbeat. Pressed and squeezed by the relentless pressures of running a small business in an unforgiving world of big corporations, global capitalism, and mass production.
Am I the only one who thinks this is a catastrophe?
