I have known about the closing of The Patio for some time now. I have wanted to write about it. But frankly, the words were not forthcoming. I get depressed when a business closes in Broad Ripple which fills a niche. Watching a 24-hour diner, a 24-hour pizza place, and several non-corporate coffee shops close has been painful. These closings, to me, have left a void in the cultural life of Broad Ripple.

Now The Patio's music has faded. I would not describe this as a void in the live music scene. This is a black hole - a vortex which truly sucks.

So what to make of this sucking vortex of a black hole? I have friends who maintain that when good energy is gathered at one establishment and that place closes, the good energy goes to another place. I embraced this idealism, for awhile. Now I am re-considering this perspective. It seems to me that vacuums are created when creative ventures go away. It sucks, doesn't it?

But maybe there is hope when we put our energy and Love into helping the artists/entrepreneurs who hang their financial canvasses in Broad Ripple: