Well. Where to even start.
Sam and I are doing fine. We’ve both been working from home for the last week (Sam always works from home, so not much has changed for him). We’ve cancelled all our plans and have spent a lot of time playing video games and doing puzzles. To be honest, I’m not hating having an excuse to lock up with my new fiancé (!!!) for awhile. I guess this is the real test - if we’re not sick of each other by the time this is all over, then it’s a good sign.
Work has been difficult, but I’m managing. Our company didn’t really have the infrastructure set up to support so many people working from home, but the IT team has been heroic in getting everything up and running. We’re a bit limited still, but we’ll keep chugging along and hope it doesn’t interfere with timelines too much. I feel very grateful for my team, who have been incredibly collectively supportive, and especially grateful for my little sub-team of voice designers. Couldn’t ask for a better group of people to work with!
Morale-wise it’s been a bit of a roller coaster, for me. I haven’t been too gloomy at any point, but motivation/inspiration has been a problem. It’s hard to get away from scrolling through the news and convince myself that anything really matters. But I’ve got myself set up next to a window, and sometimes the sun is shining and the squirrels are running around in the backyard, and I think we’re going to get through this alright.
To be clear, I’m not worried for myself at all. Sam and I will be fine. But anxiety is a rock that sits on my chest, for everyone who has it less easy than us. From my friends who live alone and have to isolate alone, to the ones who are still required to show up to work, to the ones who are medical professionals and I haven’t even been able to get a hold of. The stories from places like Italy and Iran are horrifying. The stories of people not taking it seriously are infuriating. I’m not going to speculate about whether we’re doing enough, or how long this is going to last, that isn’t my place. But I feel helpless to contribute. (That being said, friends, if you’re struggling, and there’s anything I can do, please let me know!!!)
However, in the midst of all the darkness, I’m reminded of this post I made seven years ago after the Boston Marathon bombing. Extreme conditions bring out the best and worst in people, and while we’re seeing the dark sides of some, I’m much more amazed by the human capacity for compassion and ingenuity. CEOs giving up salary so that they don’t have to lay off workers. Professional athletes paying salaries of employees at their venues. Online shows, concerts, classes, masterclasses, parties. Distilleries making hand sanitizer. Stores opening early for elderly and immunocompromised. Online libraries, archives, schools opening up their materials to the public. 3D printing ventilators. Countries who have it under control sending unprecedented amounts of aid to countries who don’t. And all the efforts of individual people doing the little things they can do, adding up to a entire globe’s worth of goodwill. Surely that has to count for something, right?
Be safe, and be well, and I’ll see you when this is all over.
Marla