Thread by @imaracingmom

THREAD:
It's hitting me hard teaching a couple of old ladies how to make their own e-liquids. The reality of this industry being so close to death is taking my breath away tonight. No FDA authorizations and staring at a tax so big it will be cheaper for some people to smoke.
1/

The 2 ladies are adorable. One is 72 years old and the other won't say her age. She just winks and says she's the "wiser sister". They are both widowed and live together. The live an hour away, and come here once a month to buy supplies.
2/

I no longer have the liquid they always buy. I haven't reordered liquid in weeks, since hearing of the first MDO in August. I'm so low volume, I can't risk financially getting stuck with product. My lease is up at the end of the year, it looks like I won't be renewing it.
3/

The next few months will be spent teaching them how to stay smoke free on their own. Be they buy from other shops, make their own, find someone who can ship to them, or start working on quitting vaping, too.
4/

Those old ladies are like family to me. Just about all my customers are. I go to their weddings and funerals. They come in to show me their kids first day of school pictures, or photos of a new grandbaby.
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We've bought groceries for each other in hard times, thrown fund raisers for each other, made baby blankets and face masks for members of our little extended family. They bring me homemade dinners on holidays, because the shop is open.
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I've visited them in the hospital, bought pizza and wrapping paper from their kids school fundraisers, I've tolerated baseball games (I hate baseball) when someone's kid just needs someone extra rooting for them in the stands.
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I've handed out candy for the downtown Halloween celebration just like the neighboring shops do. I've had people yell at me for doing so, while no one cares the bar next door is doing the same thing, because "the kids" 'ya know. 8/

Only to have a customer walk up and ask the screamer how often they donate to the food shelf, the youth center, the scouts, the red cross, and all the cancer benefits?
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And have my customer point out I do this all the time, and usually anonymously so no one thinks I'm marketing to kids. Because it's never about publicity/marketing, it's about community. MY community, my people
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From the early days of vaping, when we sat around doing our own builds, having social gatherings, new product roll out parties and cloud comps, we've been a community.
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Adults of all ages, from all walks of life. From the dude in a 3 piece suit and shiny shoes, to the lady with a million piercings and even more tattoos, we've always belonged with others who vape. We all quit smoking. We all helped each other quit smoking.
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We became a family. An instant support group. It doesn't matter who you are out in the world, walk into the vape shop and you're one of us. And all of you have been welcome. We didn't care how you quit, we just wanted to make it possible for you to quit.
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So, for the next few months, I'm going to take care of my family as best I can. I'm probably going to cry a lot of tears. They have already started. I was so proud earlier today to teach a couple of grannies how to make their own liquids.
14/

Tonight, the cold hard reality has hit me, this is just the beginning. I have a lot of people to get to the point of independence before the end of the year. I don't know what I'll do when it is over and I lock the door for the last time. I know my heart is going to break.
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I've always wanted to devote time to feeding the hungry and housing the homeless in my community. It's on my bucket list. But there was always a BUT in front of that. That BUT was that vaping would be accepted and available for any adult who wanted to quit smoking.
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And I don't mean any vaping, I meant vaping as we know it. Vaping with enough choices that anyone who smokes had the opportunity to find the option that appeals to them so much, they're able to finally quit smoking.
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How fitting that the leaves here have started turning and that the cold, short days of a Minnesota winter are around the corner. That is what life feels like right now, cold and hard.

The clock is ticking...

My heart is breaking...

~ The End
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