These are certainly unprecedented times. Who thought the world could stop like this? At our
March 14th staff meeting where we voted to go on a 2 weeks leave before we were mandated to do so we thought we were perhaps overreacting, but decided to take a stand and slow the spread of the virus. It was in line with our core values and it felt like the right thing to do.
If you told me then we’d be looking at 4 wks, 6wks, or more like 10 wks of this I would
have told you, you’re crazy. How could everything just stop for that long. How could I not go to target, the park, see my friends, GO TO WORK for that long? But alas, here we are.
There’s a lot of discontent happening now, questions about our future, and frustration of staying home – is it even working? We can’t live our lives in fear. We have the right to work.
Believe me, I understand the sentiment.
I watched countless webinars, read anything I could get my hands on (yes including those petitions to consider hair stylists essential workers so we could get back to work). I made lists and outlines and imagined what our process could be to re-open.
Then last night I laid down with my 2 girls at bedtime and it dawned on me – how could I feel comfortable with this after being at work all day. No matter how many sanitation and safety protocols I put into place, are they enough to make me confident I’m not bringing this virus back to my home, my children. I have parents over 60, a pregnant sister, I don’t even know for sure how my body would react to this virus. Could I make that decision for OTHER people.
I hear the arguments of not living afraid, that we are a business who’s entire state board is based on sanitation and safety, that safe practices exist and we have a right to make a living. I HEAR you.
I however do not AGREE with you.
I don’t have a clear idea of what we’re waiting for or what numbers we need to see. Do we need access to testing? Do we need a vaccine? I honestly don’t know what re-entry looks like, I just know its not yet.
There’s a light at the end of the tunnel, we are lessening the strain on our hospitals, the spread is slowing, we are even discussing and imagining re-entry plans. But sorry folks, we’re not there yet.
Our original decision was made with our friends, family, and team members BEST interests at heart. While some refuse to live in fear of the virus- I refuse to live in fear of not returning to normal. If we allow pressure and panic to guide our decisions to how quickly we return to our lives, it will be a short lived victory.
The world has stopped, it looks different now, re-entry will look different too. If we don’t take the time and care needed to create our new future we simply will not have one. What an opportunity to reinvent, evolve, and become BETTER.
We will be there because we have built it. We will be there because we are doing the RIGHT thing for us. We will be there with a safe, calm, comfortable LJ way of getting us all back to our lives, and our clients who we miss SO much.
We are imagining our future, and it looks BRIGHT, and we will get there soon, just not yet...