My Feelings, COVID-19 & Community
These have been some wild, uncomfortable and scary times for all of us! And, I am afraid that the tough times are far from over. The impact that COVID-19 may bestow upon our world, our country, state, town, and family are largely still unknown at this writing. That is why I feel compelled to write about service to our communities, friends and families. Tough times like this with no playbook require, not only action, but also reflection and thoughtfulness before acting to make a real impact. That is where I am at, right now...
I live on the outskirts of a small but bustling town, Hillsborough, North Carolina. Bona Fide Events is based at a coworking office in the center of the same town. Our family came to Hillsborough almost 16 years ago, moving from close by Durham, when our only child, Brady, was less than 5 months old. We are lucky. We have great neighbors, my mother-in-law nearby and an incredible group of “townies” that we call friends. With our Hillsborough friends, we have “broken bread” together, tossed a couple back together, danced together, exchanged banter with each other and assuredly have always had each other’s backs.
So, with all of that being said, it is my commitment to stay small and, although this virus and its impact are big, to concentrate on my town, my neighbors, my family and, thus, my community.
When we started to see the domino effect of schools closing, sheltering the elderly or those with immune deficiencies in place and my friends in the hospitality industry having to shut their doors to take-out only, the first words that echoed in my head were “How can I help?”. The answer, although imperfect, is probably sitting there right in front of me. So far, I am buying gift cards from local restaurants, bars, coffee shops and the like. I am re-gifting some of these to grocery store employees, Fed-Ex and UPS drivers, anyone in scrubs and more. I don’t have a ton of disposable income but I am doing what I can. I am also encouraging other folks to buy gift cards, not just for themselves but for the gifting that they plan to do later in the year anyway during the holidays, teacher appreciation day, etc. This is a start but my mind is still reeling trying to think of the next angle, idea or action.
In the end, I have realized that event planners can be special folks! To be a really good planner you have to have a gift, in addition to planning events, of resiliency, nimbleness, thinking creatively when a problem arises and shifting when needed to provide help and appropriate action. Our natural instinct is to look out for ourselves and our family. Of course, that is a great start! It is my hope that, during these trying times when our community needs a helping hand, that we learn to bounce in a different direction than the selfish society we have evolved into. As I always say to my clients and I certainly know in my heart….I, truly, am here for you! I am here for you too, Hillsborough, North Carolina. Stay tuned, stay home, wash those hands and keep the faith. Together we stand.