Growth Dynamics Get Down

While spending some time on Facebook this week I saw a pretty fun post from King Arthur Flour. If you know anything about me, Sarah, I love carbs. Carbs of all kinds. Bread, cake, cookies, pizza, flatbread, pita... the list can go on and on. That's why I follow King Arthur Flour. I also thought I should copy the great idea they had. 

The Covid-19 shut down has led us into uncharted territory in quite a few areas, and perhaps the most noticeable is the Education Experiment we have thrown at our teachers and their students. Many of us have ringside seats to this process, and I do not know if it is going as anyone hoped. If you are one of the parents that is actively engaged in this homeschooling delivery you have my utmost respect for your patience and persistence.

Today was a special day for me and a special group of people. I was part of a BACK TO WORK meeting conducted over ZOOM that welcomed the entire sales force back at one of my clients. I called it a BACK TO SCHOOL event because they sell school supplies and their faces looked like they were a bunch of kids seeing their classmates for the first time after summer vacation. Big smiles and howdy dos appeared to be the order of the day for everyone involved. It was special to see a positive moment during some tough times for many of us.

OK, the days are all running together, and frankly I am struggling to get a real sense of momentum in much of anything lately. No, this is not a plea to open up businesses all over and let everyone out of their houses. We will get there, and I am on board with slower rather than faster on those decisions. I am just getting a case of cabin fever at this point. My attempt to remedy the situation was to get outside and tramp in the woods and weeds at Stroud Preserve, a local gem of a park.

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.

You made it to Friday! Did you know it was Friday or are you down to three days of the week: yesterday, today and tomorrow like we are in the Waple house? Do weekends even matter anymore?

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.