Growth Dynamics Get Down

Like you and most everyone else in this country, I want to be back to work. Not this work from home sort of working stuff, but the real work of full days on the calendar and the sense of not having enough time to get done what needs to be done. I miss the frantic moments of traveling from city to city by planes, trains, and automobiles. I trust it is coming back and business will rebound for all of us. At least that is my best desire for all.

A few months ago, I made a very deliberate decision to avoid contributing any negative or political commentary on social media. There are plenty of folks there that express opinions like mine, so me not adding the conversation is not causing anyone to be short on agreement or disagreement to fuel their personal agendas. Plus, I just do not matter that much in the bigger scheme of things going on in the world. The current affairs have certainly given me plenty of opportunities to break my silence, but still I resist joining the fray. As a reward I have found myself being very open to the amazing creativity people have shared as ways of coping with the Coronavirus pandemic and its influence on our day to day living.

As I’ve gotten older my appetite for following sports has waned considerably. I still have favorite teams that I follow although not as fervently as I did at a younger age. Watching a good pro or college football or basketball game on TV keeps my attention most of the time, but I don’t think about the scores or the players much beyond the final buzzer. I view it as strictly entertainment only with little or no impact on my life or my concern.

Despite the impact of the statistics on new cases and new deaths, today’s news had some shreds of hope for everyone. There is slight indication that the numbers of people infected and reporting to hospitals in New York City has started to decline. In the parlance of the day, the curve appears to be flattening. Personally, I need to see that type of reporting out of place like Chicago, New Orleans and Philadelphia before I start to celebrate, but there is a glimmer of hope that the tide is turning.

I’ve written about the gift of time this pandemic has given to all of us, and I’d like to explore that a bit more in this message.

A short message again today about a moment that happens in the life of a child. This time it happens to be my nine-year-old grandson.

Sleep has been a challenge over the last few weeks. I go to bed too early or don’t get enough exercise as I shelter in place. I can’t figure it out, but I know I keep waking up way earlier than I need or want to lately. The best place for me to deal with this insomnia is in our hot tub, gazing into the darkness of early morning of the brightening of a new day.

The message will be short today as we look forward to brighter days and a return to the normal lives we left behind a couple of weeks ago.

I knew if I looked hard enough, I could find a valuable gift in this pandemic reality that has enveloped us all. It wasn’t that obvious in the first couple of days or weeks, but it appeared when I allowed myself to let it take shape in my mind.

If you haven’t spent some time over the last few weeks feeling those emotions, you must be some sort of alien. I admit that in these hours when I’m sitting in my new office (bedroom overstuffed chair) there are moments when fear and anger creep from my subconscious mind to full awareness as I consider what this pandemic is doing to my life, my business, my future and my entire world. I suspect you’ve experienced the same thing, at least I hope you have.