Lean On Me

In 1972, Bill Withers released his hit song “Lean On Me.” The lyrics have always taken me back to my high school years and the time when everyone just seemed to be trying to find a friend.

Lean on me when you’re not strong
I’ll be your friend, I’ll help you carry on
For it won’t be long
‘Til I’m gonna need somebody to lean on.

When Bill Withers passed away this year, the Covid-19 virus was rearing its ugly head and creeping country by country around the world. With very little warning, our lives changed. Schools closed, restaurants locked their doors, churches cancelled Easter Sunday services, and we all adjusted to living within the four walls of our homes. It wasn’t long before we picked up the phone to call old friends,  discovered FaceTime and Zoom, started playing “Words with Friends,” and figured out just how to “reach out and touch someone” in a whole new way.

The longer this Stay-at-Home mandate continues, the more I realize the importance of the relationships I’ve built through the years. People need people, and I found out quickly that “I’m gonna need somebody to lean on.”

Certainly my personal friendships are golden, but the business relationships I have nurtured through the years are also at the top of my “What’s Most Important” list. I’ve discovered that during this global pandemic I’m thinking more about the people behind the businesses than just the name on the restaurant or store. They, too, are trying to figure out this “new normal,” both personally and as business people. While shutting things down was difficult, opening things back up may be even more of a challenge. Who can we lean on?

Cincinnati Food Tours has been built on the foundation of strong, personal relationships with our Findlay Market merchants and our Cincinnati restaurant partners. We’ve worked together for years, with the common goal of sharing the best of this community that we all love.

To you, my friends in the industry:
Lean on me when you’re not strong
I’ll be your friend, I’ll help you carry on
For it won’t be long
‘Til I’m gonna need somebody to lean on.