Hey Nerds,
Never did I ever think that the first real post on NMW would cover social distancing. But here we are!
Self-isolation. Lessening the curve. In these uncertain times, there’s a lot we could dwell on and fret about. My livelihood is tied to the travel-industry. The same goes for my significant other. We’re both working from our dining room table and moving to separate rooms when we have dueling conference calls. There’s a lot of unknowns—will one or both of lose our jobs? Will our elderly parents get sick? How do we support our local community without putting people at risk?
Priority #1: Taking care of ourselves and looking out for our neighbors.
We are blessed to have employers that allows us to work from home and jobs that we can perform from home. Not everyone can. I don’t take this lightly and am doing everything I can to ensure we don’t go out unnecessarily. In the past week we’ve left the house twice: once we never even left the car and the other to do a quick run to Sam’s Club. Our isolation helps keep our community a little safer and, hopefully, healthier.
Fun Fact: Sam’s Club has a feature in its app called “Scan & Go” that allows you to scan as you go throughout the store and pay within the app. If you’re not buying something that requires an associate’s assistance (like alcohol or video games), this saves SO much time, you skip the checkout line, and you can maintain your social distancing like a pro. We went last night and were in and out in 15 minutes flat. Divide and conquer; scan and go!
There’s also the responsibility we all have to take care of ourselves. This one is TOUGH. While at home, I’m looking around at all the things that I have wanted to do around the house but “never had the time.” Now time is abundant and I feel compelled to FEEL productive. In the past week I’ve taken apart and fixed our dryer (for under $25 in replacement parts), assembled a covering for my car, taken back the wild that was our backyard, shopped for baby gifts for a future little New Yorker, and rearranged the spare bedroom so we can actually use the Bowflex. Consequently, my back is killing me and I’m still staring at the cracks that formed from the foundation shifting thinking…”that’s next.”
I need to focus more on self-care. Read the book that I assigned myself for my mentorship at work. Take time to watch the Expedition Unknown or just nap. This is something we all need to hear: it’s OK to take care of yourself. It’s OK to take time for yourself. It’s OK to take an extra long shower or sit and sip a whisky. If it helps you stay sane, DOWIT.
Priority #2: Let’s Start Thinking About the Future
While we need to remain vigilant and responsible, we should also focus on how we plan to help each other recover after we are all at the point to leave our homes and rediscover our world.
I know some might argue now isn’t the time. The stock market has wrecked retirements and savings are drawn thin. By no means do I want people to overextend themselves. What I suggest is simply continue dreaming. What’s the top of your travel bucket list? Do you desperately want to stay at the BrewDog Brewery hotel, The DogHouse, in Columbus, Ohio? Do you want to visit the Smithsonian? Have you always secretly wanted to take tango lessons in Argentina? Mine is seeing Machu Picchu. Or is there something you’ve meant to do that you haven’t quite gotten around to in the past? Maybe it’s learning to throw axes or how to cook French cuisine. Hold on to those dreams and when the time is right for you—bite that bullet and DO IT. Big or small, your dreams are worth dreaming.
And in the meantime, what little things can you do when we can all return to our new normal? Maybe it’s a weekly date night at local restaurants that will undoubtedly need your patronage. Or instead of grabbing beer-to-go, stop by a taproom/brewery and have a beer before you buy some to-go. And there’s always volunteering for an organization that means something to you. Be it playing with puppies (or senior dogs!), tutoring children, serving meals, or cleaning up parks, you can make a huge difference.
OK Nerds, that’s enough blathering by me. Let’s get back to social distancing.
Oh and wash your damn hands.
Cheers,
Head Nerd