The Face of the Economy
We read and hear much on the ravages of the economy, but many of us are fortunate in not bearing witness to it or its devastation. Death, disease, famine, war and poverty rightly demand our care, time, support and attention, yet oftentimes, we fail to see what living in a state of unravel can wrought, where worry and uncertainty can inexorably nudge us into failure as surely as a calamity can devour us in its sweep.
In October, The New York Times began tracking how six small businesses were handling the recession. Something about this photo said more on the topic than all the words trying to explain it.
One such business is that of Michael Menna, 46, [pictured above], owner of Menna’s Quality Meats and Salumeria, his family’s 50-year-old meat market in the Throgs Neck section of the Bronx. With business down, he fell behind in his electric payments, and Con Ed demanded about $6,500 as a security deposit. He has cut hours for his four workers, asked his wife to help and started working part time as a D.J. to help pay bills.
