This past month has been a whirlwind. Those that are daily food shoppers, can’t. Those that cling to old philosophies about the market, got stung again. Those that usually call their doctors for every little ache and pain can’t get through. Those that procrastinated to enroll in Medicare can’t get into a Social Security office because they are closed. Toilet paper. What toilet paper? Rice, beans, flour. Nope, all out.
Now that I got that out of my system… good news. Fast food and coffee drive thru’s are open and we are too! We are taking appointments in person (if allowed at the time publication reaches you) and online, just as we have been for years. Many of our staff mem-bers already work from home, so it’s just another workday. Our company was built to be agile and responsive. We know what’s going to happen way before it happens. It’s not that we can see into the future.
We just look to the past for clues to the future. When the CDC deployed a team to the LAX airport in February, we knew that was an unusual event. I ran to the store and bought… yes, toilet paper. Not too much, just 2 months’ supply. When the news shared the virus was spreading in China, we knew that was not normal. China does a lot to maintain its image on the global stage. I ran out the next morning at 5:30 a.m. to the grocery store and filled our pantry with canned goods. My wife was not happy. After my scolding, I requested my wife run out for real food. You know… meats that we could freeze. I emptied the large freezer of ice cubes and made room for our new haul. We have chicken, steaks, frozen pizza, bread, and most importantly, mac and cheese. I hope you did the same!
The government is really doing a great job of managing this pandemic. They are reflecting on what China did correctly and then Italy. That hindsight helps us improve our national outcomes over what the other governments experienced.
By cancelling most every large gathering and closing businesses to allow the virus to run its course, is probably the best way to manage our country’s health. While this is hugely disruptive to our economy, hard decisions are required so we still have a country. The recovery will happen in late July to early August. Restaurants will reopen. Conventions and travel will normalize. Folks will get back to work. BUT…it will not happen overnight. It just won’t. There will be a renewed focus on “buy American” and buy local. We will reevaluate just about everything.
When was the last time you ate a can of fruit cocktail? I was a kid. That stuff lasts nearly forever in storage. I’m going to have a can tonight, for dessert! I know I always relate things to food. Think about what’s important and what’s not. Focus on the important!