The Corona Virus – Calm in a time of uncertainty
In these times, the word calm seems like it might be a bit of a reach some days. When we are faced with such uncertainty, stuck in our homes and away from loved ones.
We feel like every trip to the grocery store is a battle. A battle against the invisible enemy. A battle against the people in our own communities. A battle against those that take more than they need.
Its exhausting.
So we stock up as much as we can, as much as reasonable so that we don’t have to risk ourselves to go to the store more than necessary. We only let one person leave the house and that person has strict orders to avoid contact, stay far away from others, disinfect themselves and everything they touch. Grocery bags are left on the porch and items brought in carefully and individually. Everything is like a ticking time bomb.
Our lives have been moved online. Everything is done from home and virtually.
Facetime playdates and coffee, Zoom meetings and Skype. All the new places we meet our friends and family.
Our children are out of school so some have taken on the responsibility of ensuring they are still learning during this time at home. Lesson plans, books, writing, and projects. The resources thats schools and educational companies have made available have been endless and helpful.
While we may not all decide to homeschool our children using the resources that have been made available, some may opt to teach them other skills. Valuable life skills and responsibilities. Cooking, cleaning, building, fixing – skills that are just as important as finding what x and y equal in a complex equation.
All of the things we thought mattered, suddenly – don’t.
Our inboxes are filling up with emails from every company we ever knew existed and their thoughts and actions amid this pandemic, while we fill our windows with pictures for children passing by and colour our sidewalks in an effort to lift the spirits of those out for a walk.
We are spending time with our families. We’re focusing on our immediate surroundings. We’re traveling less (a lot less!) and healing our earth.
We are making smart choices. Acting as if we could possibly unknowingly affect those around us and therefore staying home.
By staying home we’re saving lives.
By staying home we’re helping others.
We’re making less work for those on the front lines. The doctors, the nurses, the cashier at the grocery store, the essential workers that are going out, risking it all – for us.
And while your local grocery store clerk is a new town hero, there are the other businesses that are suffering greatly. Local shops that rely on foot traffic from the street are going online and offering free delivery.
Smaller restaurants have converted to take out shops if they haven’t closed completely.
Spas are closed. Businesses are reducing and the EI system is overloaded with the amount of temporary layoffs.
The entertainment industry – an industry that relies on people going out, is virtually at its knees.
Movies in theatres last week are being pushed to your tvs now. Musicians are performing live concerts – online.
Events have been cancelled, sports are shut down and even the Olympics is on the brink of cancellation.
While all of this may seem overwhelming and hard to grasp – its all for the greater good. Which is why the entertainment industry is trying to give back for the years we’ve stepped up to keep it flowing, and bring it into our living rooms so we can all be safe.
While event security is at a stand still, we are helping places like Senior Homes and Grocery stores at the front lines. We’re patrolling empty event spaces until they can be filled once again. Keeping things safe and calm in these scary moments.
Everyone is coming together as a community to stay apart, adapt to these new ways, step up, and help out as much as we all can while staying 2 metres away.
While we wait for the panic to settle and for everyone to stay home, we will practice patience, empathy, and kindness to those around us.
Those that have to go out to work, those that have to face the invisible enemy, and those that are forced to stay home. We all have a job to do and no matter where you are in the world, your actions matter.
Guest Blogger Rayna Davies
Rayna Davies is a graduate and practitioner of Business Management. She has developed an expertise in blogging, covering subjects like travel, world events and security. Having grown up with a father who has developed an expertise in Physical Security and Executive Protection in the RCMP and two major corporations, she has personally observed and 
experienced many security details. These experiences have included personally meeting HM Queen Elizabeth, Prime Minister Jean Chretien and many celebrities. She presently assists Sentinel Security in Executive Protection workshops and guest blogging and also assists Gloprosec Preventative Services in Intelligence gathering and Business Administration. Her passions include World travel, having visited every continent.
