Let’s rewrite “what is possible”
Faced with perhaps “the impossible,” a crippling virus, businesses of all sizes and shapes have learned to become flexible, to pivot, to shift from their fundamental practices to find solutions for people.
Solutions for now. Right now.
Do you want to know why the stock market is going up? One reason could be because the market may see what is possible.
What we can become.
Do you know what we can become?
Resilient. Resourceful.
Not only will we survive this, we will learn things we never knew before and become stronger than ever.
And more proud. Of our ourselves.
Not some politician waving a flag. We can be proud of us, and proud of OUR efforts.
Let’s examine what seemed impossible just a few weeks ago, and let’s begin to rewrite what is possible:
What if there’s a worldwide pandemic with no vaccine?
We will see biotech firms and pharmaceuticals shift to produce, develop and test vaccines – faster than ever before.
What if the vaccine will take too long?
We will see every other resource available tested, to see what works.
What if our brothers in the greatest need require medical help in this crisis?
We will see Dr. Alexander Salerno (in NJ) buy a van with a generator (and a pop-up tent) to help folks in Orange, Irvington and Newark.
What if we need to close the schools due to a pandemic?
We’ll see schools figure out distance-learning over the web.
What if we don’t have enough ventilators for all the sick people who need them?
We will see automobile manufacturers shift from making cars to making ventilators.
What if we don’t have enough masks and protective gear for everyone?
We will see manufacturers like New Balance (the shoe company) shift to making masks.
What if we *still* need more equipment?
We’ll see a fiber optic cable company in SC flip to begin making shields.
What if we run out of cleaning supplies?
We will see brewers, distillers and make-up organizations pivot to make hand sanitizers.
What if there won’t be enough food for everyone?
We will see makeshift food pantries pop up with help from restaurants and donations.
What if the lines are long at the food banks?
We’ll see an app called Nepjun shift completely, to help find food banks who can deliver or have the shortest waits.
What if there are shortages, for specific items like bread?
We’ll see companies like Fuddruckers improvise and bake bread while their restaurants are closed.
What if we can’t go to (the gym, to the movies, or see my friends)?
We’ll see creative ways to meet online, virtually, to keep us connected while staying safe.
What if I can’t go to Church?
We will see ways to bring Mass to you – live-stream, until Church re-opens.
What if the economy craters because everyone is locked down?
We’ll see the Federal Reserve act quickly to provide liquidity like never before, to keep the economic wheels spinning.
What if truckers find 20-40% of their products ruined because (as reported) refrigerated trucks aren’t working properly?
We will see the Internet of Things (IOT) transform these past few weeks, to provide truckers with real time information.
What if my corner store doesn’t have a website, how can they let people know they are open?
We will see coders create free websites for local stores, or adding delivery options to existing websites.
What if people lose jobs?
We will see software companies like Zira shift to launch free tools like Bounce Back, to help those laid off due to COVID-19.
None of these people or companies waited for a bailout. They saw the need.
These companies were decisive and took action. They quickly stepped up.
While we are at it, we MUST acknowledge the exceptional work our nurses, EMT’s first responders and doctors have performed over this time. These folks cannot be thanked enough.
There’s a LOT of bad news around, if that’s what you seek. Today we learned the unemployment rate in April was over 14%.
It’s easy to whine and complain about what’s wrong. It’s being thrown in our faces through the media every day, 24/7. Watch TV or open a news website: negativity, bearishness, along with doom and gloom are served up everywhere. You have to dig a little to get to the good news.
But the good news IS there. Ya just gotta look.
So let’s rewrite “what is possible.”
Let’s consider what we can accomplish together, and move ahead.
It’s the only way forward.
PS: I was inspired to write this message after watching a short video from Brother Tom Cleary from Chaminade High School in Mineola, NY (I graduated from Chaminade in 1980). Two CHS graduates created these face masks, then imprinted the CHS logo. These graduates donated 500 face masks and then are selling the rest to raise money for a local food pantry.
We don’t have to accept “it’s impossible!”
We can re-write what is possible.
Together.