I spotted Ernie Williams taking down business cards from a bulletin board in Charlotte, North Carolina. His persistence and Carolina-Rastafarian style drew my eye. So, I introduced myself and asked, "Ernie, what do you do for a living?" He kept pecking at the bulletin board and answered, "Well, when I first started coming to this coffee shop, I noticed that nobody took care of the community space. So, I decided to make it my job. After a while, the coffee shop noticed what I was doing and decided to hire me. Now I work for many of the businesses around here because they know I care."
I ordered a drip coffee at @groundwork.common and headed to an empty table when I noticed Gabriel Risinger rock'n the Macklemore vibe behind the counter. I introduced myself and discovered that he had been working endless hours to get the joint open and was now running on fumes. After a sip of coffee I asked, "So, do you own this place...or does it own you?" He laughed and responded, "Well, I'm hoping to make the switch as soon as I get this concrete floor resurfaced, but today it owns me."
It was almost impossible to miss Michael DiBari beside the French Market in New Orleans. Standing next to his cardboard cutout of Hilary Clinton in handcuffs, he looked like a political predator waiting for prey. I introduced myself and could immediately tell that 'political correctness' was not his strong suit. So cautiously, I asked, "What are you hoping to accomplish on this corner?" He smiled and said, "For the past 6 years I've served this country as the 'Bad Ass Uncle Sam. Sometimes you just have to stop complaining and get off your butt and do something."
