At work this past Monday we were all in the building together maintaining social distancing which included our daily meeting via Zoom from our respective offices. By Thursday we were taking shifts in the building. By Friday the entire building was shut down and we were ordered to work from home. Thankfully, I was allowed to gather items I need to work from home and now once a week I will be allowed into the building for a couple of hours alone to handle critical tasks. Beyond the need for flexibility, this pandemic is teaching us important lessons. First among them is that leadership is important. Accurate information is paramount. Hope is not a plan. Technology is essential. Rainy day funds are necessary. And how we behave affects others. It is also highlighting our major failings.
I have a daughter-in-law who is an MD working at a major hospital. By virtue of her work, my son has been working from home for a while because her hospital made it clear that she will likely become infected and so will her household. They are young and healthy and so they take it in stride. But what does this say about our lack of preparedness? Hospitals, urgent care facilities, and doctor’s offices don’t have adequate supplies to care for themselves while caring for their patients. There aren’t enough masks, hospital beds, or ventilators. Our government saw this coming and did nothing. Hope is not a plan. Denial and closing borders is not preparation. It’s disheartening to hear doctors and nurses pleading with the public for the supplies they need to treat those of us who become ill without exposing themselves and their own families. We have to step up now and produce what is needed. The continued failure of leadership at the highest level is striking and dangerous.
Our other failing in this “information age” is not doing a good enough job convincing people that their behavior affects others. I get that Americans are rugged individuals who pursue their own best interest first. We aren’t a collective society that looks first at what is in the best interest of the whole. When faced with a situation such as this, our pursuit of individual fun, protection, and profit harms the most vulnerable among us. For a nation full of religious people, we ignore many of religious moral commands. We are in fact our brothers’ keeper and the way this virus spreads drives this point home. The college students enjoying spring break on Florida beaches, the hoarding and fighting in the grocery stores, the scammers looking to make a buck online using the virus are all evident of the failure of individualism. We need to strengthen our teaching around the greater good.
And finally, this pandemic has shown just how financially vulnerable most of us are. The poorest can’t take advantage of the technology that is making some life functions doable–like working, shopping, socializing, and learning from home. In addition, most Americans don’t have a rainy day fund to get through an economic emergency like this when income is cut off. I’ve listened to every financial advisor for years talk about setting aside at least 6-8 months worth of expenses. I realize that while we were in the position to do this, many people are living pay check to pay check because wages and income have not risen except at the very top. So, as jobs and paychecks disappear, in order to prevent a full-on economic collapse our government will need to give people money. I understand this. But all of us who are able should do extra too by donating to food banks, by giving or lending funds to friends and family members who are out of work. I think about my nail and hair salons that were ordered to close. We can’t visit our favorite restaurants because they, too, are closed. Theaters are closed. All those workers are now without income. Were they able to save 6-8 months worth of expenses to weather this emergency? It is doubtful. So, they won’t be able to pay their rent, utilities, buy food or other necessities without help. I’m going to give where I can. Perhaps this will be a wake-up call to Americans to save more and spend less in the future. Even more importantly, perhaps employers will start paying their workers better so that they can continue to spend and save, too.
There are a few bright spots in all this. Some employers like Mark Cuban are still paying workers who work during NBA games. Some singers like John Legend are posting living room concerts on YouTube to cheer people up. Some governors are taking leadership in ways our president has failed to step up. Most cell phone providers have eliminated extra charges for exceeding data limits. And technology is proving to be a life saver for work production and for teaching and learning in most places. And the brightest spot are by far our health care providers who are putting themselves on the line for the greater good.
This virus has exposed areas where we need to improve. But it has also exposed the generosity of some and the insensitivity of others. We’re all in this together and we rely on each other. So, I hope that is the biggest lesson we take from this pandemic.