COVID-19

About a month ago I asked a friend in the manufacturing space "is any of this virus stuff in China affecting business?"  At this moment there are 30,347 confirmed cases in the US and the state of Illinois has effectively shut down.  This is certainly an interesting time, and a reminder of just how small the world can be.

I don't have a lot to add to this that isn't already covered, but this is certainly a moment and so it didn't feel right to go without journaling a few thoughts on it.  I'm grateful to be in a position with an available lifestyle that means my day-to-day is largely unaffected.

My family is still safe and healthy.
I'm working the same job, but admittedly I'm doing so from home instead of the office.
I'm still ordering my groceries from the internet.
I'm still getting the majority of my entertainment through digital means.
I'm still enjoying prepared meals via GrubHub more than dining out.

I don't think my personal situation changes much, but I worry for those who can't say the same.  With a vaccine not visibly in the immediate future, I seriously wonder what the turning point looks like.  How long can everything run on 'essential services only'?  What exactly shifts things off of that?  I don't know if even at the start of the housing crisis there was so much uncertainty as to what happens next.  I think that is because the macro of this whole situation extends well beyond the economy.  We, of course, have the health concerns of it, but it's timed so delicately against a major political cycle as well.  If this stretches into the general election cycle as it looks likely to, then what happens there?  Are we going to have remote campaign rallies?  Are we going to see a push for online voting?  Are we going to have serious conversations about postponing the election?

I'll be getting back to my memory lane blog posts soon.  It just didn't feel right to make a post for the first year at a start-up without acknowledging what is going on.  It's so very twilight zone to have a somber joke about yearning for the days when we mocked having to write a pandemic response policy.

I hope this finds you in a good place.  Stay healthy, stay happy, and stay civil.  The how of it is a great big unknown but it's still a virtual certainty that in time, this too shall pass.