That’s the question Carl McGhee has been asking himself all week.

McGhee is the owner of C&R Beauty Salon at 1319 Broad Street. His is one of two area businesses that suffered major damage in recent weeks as the result of fires.

Both fires have been attributed to arson.

The first fire occurred Sept. 9 at approximately 1 a.m. at the Selmont Beauty and Barber Shop and Recreation Center and Car Wash on Highway 80.

Assistant Chief Mark Walker of the Selma Fire Department said the fire caused a &uot;total loss to that structure.&uot;

The second fire occurred Sept. 15 at approximately 5 a.m. at McGhee’s salon. The business suffered major damage.

No injuries were reported at either fire.

Asked if there was a connection between the fires, Walker said he could not draw any conclusions at the present time.

McGhee, who opened his business in 1995, said he started with just one employee. After years of hard work and sleepless nights,

he built it into a business that employed 11 people.

McGhee spoke of the biblical injunction to love our enemies. &uot;I say to you with love, ‘you will reap what you sow,’&uot; McGhee said, addressing those responsible for the fire. &uot;You didn’t only hurt us, you also hurt Selma as a whole. We deal with all kinds of people and they gave us respect, and we did the same. We will still try our best to respect them.&uot;

McGhee has refused to let the fire stop him. His business has joined with Terry’s Barber Shop on Citizens Parkway, next to the Family Dollar Store.

Huey Capps, who owns the Selmont Beauty and Barber Shop, started his business more than 50 years ago. Through good times and bad, it has stood in the same spot half a century.

Like McGhee, Capps said all he can do is &uot;keep moving on.&uot;