This was a beautiful and important piece of writing. The passage about the bar, Jim’s, reminded me of the verse in the Billy Joel song Pianoman: “Yes, they're sharing a drink they call loneliness
But it's better than drinkin' alone.” Loneliness may well be the most devastating disease of our time. We should keep that in mind at all times, but especially as the weather gets colder, the skies darken, and we approach Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s celebrations - the loneliest holidays for lonely people.