Photo 42814667 © | Dreamstime.com

I’ve been spending much of the summer down here in Long Island, where I grew up.  I’ve done this for many summers now and I enjoy getting “back to my roots” for a bit, and I feel I can still be PRETTY effective from here (though it’s nowhere near the same as actually being there—not a big fan of “remote” working having done it myself for a few years 🙂 )

Anyway, life here is pretty normal other than wearing masks – I hate it, but it’s better than not being able to do anything. The beach and the boardwalk are pretty normal and most people don’t wear masks there thank God 🙂 . Restaurants are also pretty open here. In the city, there is still no inside dining, which must suck for the restaurant owners. The city has tried to help offset that by allowing more creativity to create outside seating spaces. We went to a paella place on 2nd Ave one night and at 7 pm ALL the waiters, busboys, hostesses, the owners suddenly set up a half dozen tables, barricades, awnings, etc in the BUS LANE (new law allows that) to extend their 6 outside sidewalk tables to a total of 12. Not sure if they can make it with 12 tables, but better than six. Though I’m not sure what they will do when it rains or winter comes. Does not seem like many restaurants can survive here. That will be a shame.

That being said, it strikes me that in times like these it is those who are resourceful and creative and energetic and try to “find a way or make one” (my original thought for the day) who give themselves the best chance to survive this mess.  You don’t hide under your bed or throw your hands up. You figure things out. You control what you can control (none of us control the pandemic’s course). You keep plugging.

We saw a thing on CBS Sunday morning last week about a champion archer who has no arms. He has taken a situation that would have many people “disabled” for life and not only learned to shoot a bow and arrow with his legs/feet but has become an expert at it.  Here’s a guy who would have every reason to “hang it up” and think “woe is me” and feel sorry for himself and live a sad, unfulfilled life. But he didn’t. When I see stories like that, it reminds me of the resilience each of us has within ourselves (if only we can find it!) and that our species has to deal with hardships. We can do this!

I’m proud of how all of our folks have responded during this crisis. Staying strong, being on the job, finding a way or making one despite all the obstacles. In crises like this, some survive and some die. And while we can’t completely control what happens to us, we can surely have the right mindset and do EVERYTHING WE CAN to get through it and come out the other side even stronger/better.

Onward!