We will survive the virus but will we survive him?

There are two camps; one is to stay the course the other to go back to work now. Personally I feel more comfortable opening businesses up slowly and methodically. My opinion is based heavily on how I see my customers interact with me. Because I am viewed as a colleague they are comfortable with me in their facility, however, other vendors that are seen less frequently are text only communication. This is why I haven’t visited any target accounts, and leads me to believe that regardless the circumstances of businesses reopening, people will visit only when they are ready. Either way, as businesses reopen the public will make the decision simply by choosing to shop or not. I appreciate having the good fortune that allows me to take this position because we still have the luxury of money coming in and food in the pantry. It is so unbelievable watching the news as they show thousands driving through a food line; a month ago this was unimaginable.

I generally steer away from politics since it has become so divisive but how can you “follow the leader” that seriously suggests injecting or ingesting disinfectant? I just watched a parody video in the vein of Mary Poppins sing “Spoonful of Clorox makes your temperature go down,” wondering how parents were going to explain that. Prior to this; after his proclamation that the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine was a potential cure, our state decided to purchase $800K worth of it. When the public learned of this purchase the outrage the loud and immediate. The Governor is now trying to get a refund and pleading no knowledge of the incident. I hope reasonable and educated people are allowed to give council on the most prudent path forward and that their advice is actually utilized.

The sunshine and 66 degree temperature makes it difficult to acknowledge a virus of any kind today. It is nice to worry more about a sunburn than COVID-19. Even though people can go out I don’t see many; granted, our building has only 23 units and a large lawn in back so it is generally quiet anyway, but I still think folks are mentally tethered to their homes and have difficulty leaving other than going to the store. Everyone needs a break from their office/home/quarantine space before we all go crazy.

I have been thinking about my opportunities going forward lately-a lot. This virus has given me a boost of motivation and inspiration. When I came back to this industry almost four-years ago I was 61 and vowed, if even only to myself, that I would prove my worth and do everything I could to remain relevant. These last several years have shown many of my peers moving on, giving me continued opportunity to succeed. I appreciate age is just a number and if a person can focus on continuous improvement rather than that number they have every chance in the world to succeed, if they want it bad enough.

I forgot to mention our building has done two more group restaurant purchases. The first was Osteria Amore and last week was Mazza. Neither were a particular favorite in our house but a number of our neighbors love it so we were happy to support them.