They say heaven's at the end...

but so far it's been hell...

Watching two people lose their business, their daily routine, their contentment with life; it was a sad night. Even knowing it may bring joy to their lives in the long run to have this change doesn't make it easy to stand beside them and find words to cheer them.

We had five players and four singers last night. With a friend's help, I hauled the little pa back over to set up and the music was great. Then, after the ones that had to work left, we stayed until the last minute with our host and hostess. I played the last game of pool with three others...

I had help loading the pa back into the truck and gave a couple people rides home. I hung out at the last place with a few that were stretching out the night just because it was the last one they would have coming back from "their" bar...we talked until dawn and then I went home.

It was a proper wake, all in all, with none of the bad things drinking can cause to mar it. Everyone was being tolerant and gentle with each other.

It was interesting to see how much a small bar in a small town affects so many lives in so many different ways. It was a point of contact for friends, a rallying point for gatherings to help each other, a place to be for those that are alone where they could be treated like family. News, benefits, music, games and just a place that got you out of the house, it was like a second home for many. Losing that one business in one small town affected so much more than the owners.

I have the chore of the day done and have an errand to run yet. I have paperwork to go through and calls to make tomorrow. I have music I want to record and practice to do on the wedding songs. I didn't need to go to the bar very often....but I'm going to miss it, too.