» Americans have discovered the fragility of life, that ominous fragility that the rest of the world either already experienced or is experiencing now with terrible intensity. « JOSÉ SARAMAGO
Our lives as Americans are changing. I remember vividly, as a child, visiting the Norman Rockwell Museum. I was enthralled with the “charmed” lives of the people in his artwork, the simplicity, the joy. His work captured the innocence and mores of post-WWII America.
But even as a child, I knew these pieces of work did not depict my America. Twenty-five years later, I can say with great certainty, there will be no return to Rockwell.
In chasing after the post-war dream of individually securing our own piece of land on the outskirts of the urban center, setting up shop and settling down, we have naively created an economy dependent on our ability to travel great distances to sustain ourselves. We are dependent on fossil fuels for our very existence. And this oil-dependent economy is fragile to say the least. With oil prices climbing to unheard-of new heights, average Americans are having to choose between gassing up the tank (a mere $113.83 to $143.21 for the average gas-guzzling SUV in order to bus a family the many miles to work and school each day) or putting food on the table.
If the most commonplace acts of daily life are causing such individual hardship then there is no doubt, the cost of being a small-business owner must be hitting many of our readers hard.
After months of voting, the July
issue announces your picks in our Supplier Excellence Awards, recognizing those suppliers who have proven themselves to be faithful producers of quality product through both good times and bad. I hope this information proves to be helpful to our distributor readership in making sound business decisions during these trying times.
I would also love to hear from each of you about the measures you are taking in your businesses and personally to effectively cope with this economically fragile period.
Nichole Stella
Editorial Director
