Business as usual? A letter to industry. Reposted from Pendemic.ie
Business as usual you say?
Usual SLAs still stand I presume?
Oh right.
Meanwhile …..
We tune in for regular State of the Nation addresses
We tear up and are proud of our leaders’ Together Apart rhetoric
Even if Leo borrows some lines from the Terminator movies
Meanwhile …..
There is an invisible serial killer with a penchant for the elderly and immunocompromised
But we’ve all heard the stories and we ask ourselves, will I be that outlier?
Will I be the physically active non-smoker, moderate drinker in her 40s that will be fighting for breath?
Wash your hands
Our Schools, venues, institutions
Everything not deemed essential services are closed
Social visits are out
Over 70s are being cocooned
Aggravated coughing will soon be a crime
Cancer and all non-Covid19 related treatments canceled
Diagnostics and elective surgeries deferred
Do we have enough ventilators?
Stay 2 meters apart
Separated parents may not see their children for months
Elderly and single household units may well die of loneliness
Homeless and people in direct provision are even worse off,
as if it were possible
Source basic provisions within movement limitations because there are
No delivery slots for online groceries until 2021
The digital divide divides even further
Rent freezes, mortgage supports, emergency welfare,
Non-essential industry gone with a stroke of a pen
Families’ entire income wiped out
Educate your children while holding down your job
Lucky for you to have a job this week to juggle
Stay at F**K at home
Self-isolate in your SOHO (small office home office)
Ping pong those emails as if the location of work has been the only change in our lives
Remember the CNN correspondent whose kids came into the room during his live interview,
Wasn’t it quaint back then?
Your employees that are taking the piss were doing the same before the virus
Their presenteeism disguised their incompetence
Most of us are trying.
Declare a full day or week off just for everyone just to get their head around the fact that
Life and work and society is no longer the same
Acknowledge the chaos, the uncertainty, the death
These are not normal times, this is our blitz
Our shelters are not underground but within 2km of home
This is a goddamn emergency
Business is so far from fucking usual
Dear Joy,What a wonderful name you have. I want to offer an idea to you all. Yes we are all, where ever we are in the world, experiencing an event not seen or at least socially recognized, like nothing advertised in younger people’s life times. We have better communication than when I was young. At 77 I have seen so many challenges to the human spirit and what I can tell you is this. This whole thing is a wake up call for humanity to finally pay attention and change the way we live, do business, and connect in a meaningful way. In my early life we connected with one another because we didn’t have the dividing devices we have now. We played, visited in person and conversed in every way, such as with humor, which is coming back, thank you God, depth, intelligently or not, and ways that evoked caring and compassion that was honestly expressed. I see all of this re-emerging as we move through this experience together. I teach the Power of Positive thinking and how to use the language for transformation. Change the thinking, writing and speaking using life affirming language and the picture will change for the better. Our words are powerful, use them wisely. Blessings for all.
Yes, I don’t expect us to revert to the old way of life but hope we shall reimagine a better one, thanks.
some pretty stark observations amidst the paradoxes and bedlam of the together/apart rhetoric and that lovely little turn of phrase SOHO seems to be a metaphor for the absurdity of it all as in stocks/shares and its one of the richest places in London. Clever as fuck and yes your last words no, it’s not business as fucking usual…..although some people are doing their upmost best to keep it that way. xx
Thanks Debbie, I’m still in shock by the attitude of businesses towards their employees decamping to home as if this was the only issue. I also can’t get over the anger and whinging about teachers not being fully set up to teach remotely. In Ireland, we were told mid morning that all schools, pre-schools and third level colleges would be closing that day. Hardly enough time to put together an online curriculum. I could easily master the technicalities of an online classroom but be a teacher, and inspire young people to learn in such circumstances in such short notice, no chance. You’re flying, keep up the great work.