What was your favorite toy as a kid? BB Gun

Life…

Before, During & After the Great Pandemic of 2020

Wendy Daray - GroupManager

Well, it has been just about eight months since I was asked to write my first article for our newsletter. If you recall, it was about “change”, but who would have thought there would be so much of it and in such a short period of time. We went into 2020 with big dreams and aspirations of what the new year had in store for us. January kicked off the year with a great bang, and a fresh new attitude on everyone’s mind that this was going to be the year they would rule the world. Mid-January arrives, and we start hearing things about some virus they named after a beer... so of course here come all the memes… February rolled around, the Kansas City Chiefs became the World Champions defeating the San Francisco 49ers with a huge comeback in the 4th quarter. ASHRAE hosts their annual AHR Expo in Orlando, Florida and people start to wonder why the crowds are a lot lighter than they have been in the past. Late February we receive news of the 1st case of a suspected local transmission of the virus in the US. Still unsure and skeptical of what the virus’ effects were, life as we knew it went on.

March blows in, and all of a sudden, out of nowhere…Bam!!! What once was the normal way of life is now over. We are hit with the coronavirus pandemic that turned the world upside down and sent everyone into a panic mode. Before you knew it, you could not find toilet paper, hand sanitizer, Lysol (which by the way, I still cannot find), bottled water was almost impossible to locate, and if you could find any of these items, you had to cut off an arm or a leg, and spend an entire paycheck just to be able to get them. Businesses were forced to close, airlines cancelled flights across the US, restaurants had to close, unless they could offer curbside pickup, which means people now had to actually cook a meal for themselves, schools had to shut down, moms and dads instantly became home school teachers and quickly found out, they really aren’t “smarter than a 5th grader”. Families were not allowed to visit their elderly parents or grandparents, all the animals in shelters were suddenly scooped up, social media pages were blowing up, there was nothing else on the news except how many cases were now confirmed. We were all forced back into pre-k, where we had to learn how to wash our hands, cover our mouths when we cough, and take a bath in hand sanitizer every time we touched something. State officials put “Stay Safe Work at Home” orders in place, which created a whole new demand for supplies. Suddenly there was a shortage of

computers, an influx of people registering for video conferencing services, office supplies were scarce, To-Go alcohol became legal in Texas, the definition of essential workers became a huge topic, and unemployment numbers sky rocketed. The oil industry suffered great losses, but gas for consumers became cheap and traffic on the roadways…well, there was none.

Fast forward through April, May, and June with the house arrest that everyone across the US was placed on, and now there is a whole new shortage of items: bicycles, workout equipment, rubber gloves, face masks, and rubbing alcohol. State officials mandate that face masks must be worn in all public facilities, handshakes and friendly hugs are a thing of the past, it is suggested that you stay a minimum of 6 feet away from another person unless you live in the same household as them. Parks and beaches are forced to close, moms and dads are over being teachers and have now become “day drinkers”, everyone in a single household is starting to get on each other’s nerves, kids are bored, but there is no place for them to go, so Tik Tok videos start flooding social media, Tiger King becomes a Top 10 show to watch, sporting events are cancelled, riots & protests over an unnecessary and unjustified killing destroy many major cities, police departments and personnel come under fire, racism raises its ugly head and statues were either destroyed, damaged, or removed across every city in the nation. With all the craziness in the world, managers (like myself) try to find ways to keep their employees engaged and their spirits up, so virtual “happy hours”, become a thing. Face-to-face interactions are no longer permitted by most of the customers we call on, so for those of us that are extroverted personalities, the mental anguish is becoming even more troublesome than the actual virus itself.

And now here we are today, in a state of the union that is almost unrecognizable. The catch phrase “the new normal” seems to be something that almost everyone is saying, but what does it mean exactly? Face masks have become a fashion statement, rubber gloves are no longer recommended, social distancing activities have become challenging, having your temperature tested when you walk into certain businesses is a requirement, plexiglass shields are being installed almost everywhere you go and tensions continue to rise. So, is this the “new normal”? It seems to me that most people are struggling to adjust the way they interact with other people, and those with extroverted personalities are becoming somewhat introverted. In the beginning, when the disease first was announced, I did not know anyone that had it, however, months later I must say that I have heard of many family members, friends, and aquaintances that have suffered through, and some even lost their lives to this disease. My fear, is that the mental aspect this virus leaves behind, will be far more reaching than the true symptoms of the virus itself.

None of us know what the future has in store for us, nor what the “new normal” is going to be, so let me tell you what my hopes are. I hope that people realize how much we have taken for granted in life prior to this disease rearing it’s ugly head, and they finally understand, the “little things” truly do matter the most. A “kind word”, a “passing smile”, a simple “hello” from a stranger and they develop a greater appreciation for each other. I also hope, that families become stronger, and go back to a somewhat simpler way of life. That they enjoy creating new memories together, instead of having electronic devices be the main source for their entertainment. My wish is that we as a nation can unite, and start to build each other up, instead of continuing to tear one another down. We all realize we have but only one life to live and we should try and make the most of it.

So in closing, I leave you with this: while on this ride called “life”, you have to take the good with the bad, smile when you’re sad, love what you’ve got, and remember what you had. Always forgive, but never forget. Learn from your mistakes, but never regret. People change. Things go wrong. Just remember, the ride goes on. - Carpe Diem, Wendy Daray