This Fresno store owner refuses to let her business become a health threat in pandemic

I’m tired.

I’m tired with the lack of empathy in America.

I’m tired with explaining basic science to healthy people refusing to wear masks.

I’m done with being called non-essential, expendable and scared. I’m exhausted watching businesses ignore not only science, but also legal mandates. Then I get more exhausted watching those same businesses get free marketing in TV, radio and newspaper coverage. I am finished watching selfish men such as Fresno City Council member Garry Bredefeld and Fresno County Supervisor Steve Brandau hoot ‘n’ holler about freedom and tyranny while my divided county tries to survive a pandemic.

They say they want to save the economy. What they really live for is the limelight. They need the cameras. Their version of leadership is straight from President Trump’s playbook and is tearing this county apart. Misdirect. Divide. Incite. Their version of community support consists of press conferences and rallies championed by local Proud Boys.

I also want to open up local businesses — I own one of them. Although I can do retail sales, a good 20 percent of my business was running in-store events. I can neither run those nor do I want to while the science says it’s still not recommended. Why do I choose the hard road instead of screaming like a toddler in time out? I respect the lives of my employees, my customers and my family. I do not want to put any of them in unnecessary risk. So I run my business according to the mandates as best I can.

I’m there most days in a week, trying to keep sales up so we can keep as many payroll hours available as possible. I skip cashing my paycheck because every dollar helps keep someone else in a job. I’m fortunate I can afford to do that in the short-term.

I see the owners who rallied to open all Fresno businesses, disregarding the mandates. I see the many articles they’re listed in. I hear them mentioned on the radio and TV. Meanwhile, I wonder about businesses like mine who are out there doing their best to do the right thing without the spotlights. Shout out to the salon owners who stayed closed. To the gym owners who are putting lives over profits. To the store owners who would rather people stay healthy than fatten their pocketbooks. And blessings on the building owners who are working with their tenants to help them survive this Dumpster fire of an economy.

Will opening everything up put out this fire? I doubt it. Many people will still feel unsafe going out because of the science denial. We’ll probably see infections increase. Valley Children’s may see more Kawasaki-Disease-like symptoms. We’ll rely more and more on miracles to cure 35-year-olds who slip into a coma because of COVID. Ignoring science means we’ll probably see hundreds more die in the Valley and hundreds of thousands more die in America. Death on that scale will dampen sales.

It sounds cold and heartless, but that’s where we are. I know I may suffer the failure of my business if it helps someone else keep their health. It’ll be brutal, both financially and emotionally, but I was taught that sacrifices often are. Wearing a mask? Social distancing? Washing our hands? Those are minor inconveniences, not sacrifices.

How do we know opening up will be a disaster? We have an entire world to watch. We’ve seen it happen: countries think they have COVID beat, so they loosen restrictions, then a wave happens and they have to take a step back. A state thinks it’s safe to open schools, so it does and then we quickly have stories of how many kids, teachers and staff are sick.

But even in our exhaustion, there are simple things everyone can do. Take an extra moment to find a local business who is supporting their community by helping it stay healthy. Skip one purchase on Amazon to buy local.

For those business owners feeling anxiety or despair: I see you. We may be tired but we can’t give up. No one should mistake our weariness for surrender. Entrepreneurs are hardy, risk-taking people. We just shouldn’t take risks with people’s lives.

This story was originally published October 11, 2020 at 6:00 AM.