#AWedding and #FreeEnterprise: Perfect Together!(This is not an Endorsement)

I went to a wedding the other night and a great understanding of the free enterprise system broke out!
I have a friend, who we'll call Ed,  who owns a convenience store, and, I was lucky enough to be invited to his daughter's wedding. You know how weddings work: at some weddings you sit with the family; at others you're with the groom's, or, bride's friends. At this wedding I was at the work table. I sat with the store's workers, suppliers and service contractors. We had all become friends at the store, and, we were at the funkiest tables in the hall.
At some point in the night, after my fourth drink, or, after my dance-a-phobic wife boogied down a Soul Train-like line dance, I realized all these different partiers, from varying economic and racial backgrounds, were brought together because of a gutsy decision my buddy made years before: to open his own business!
Like most of us, I'm guessing Ed was trying to figure out how he was going to make a living. I'm sure he had no idea that in deciding to open his store, and running it about as good as anyone can, he'd, like George Bailey in "It's a Wonderful Life," touch so many other lives.
Like the life of Jim, seated to my left, who has been an employee at the store for years; like the life of Sal the Plumber, who not only can't dance, but, has fixed every plumbing job the store's needed for years, and has gotten untold other jobs from Ed's recommendations; like Ricky the Produce Man( yeah, we all have nicknames), who may not know how to tie a tie, but, who became the most trusted man when it came to fruit and veggies because Ed gave him an opportunity to sell his wares in a spot in the store; and like Ed's daughter, Melanie, the star of the night, who has come to run Ed's store (almost) as efficiently as her dad.
Then I thought of the 20 or so other employees who weren't there and weren't lucky enough to see me dance, or the Dorito's, Tastycake, Pepsi and garbage guys I've come to know who have income producing routes because of Ed and other store owners just like him, or, the countless others that have benefited from Ed's decision that I was too bombed to remember.
I sat there over my chocolate wedding cake and multiplied the lives Ed's touched by the millions of other lives that have been touched by others, like Ed, who had the guts to start a business.
I love free enterprise. I love living in a country that allows it to exist. Without endorsing anyone on the eve of another important election, I'll vote for the candidates who'll give guys like Ed, not the guaranteed chance to succeed, but, the best chance to succeed.
After the party high wears off,  I may still not be able to explain how this whole free enterprise thing works, but, for now, I want to thank Ed for inviting me to a wonderful wedding!