(Shutterstock/Nehmz) Week Five is a historic moment for the world’s work from the home trial experiment, or as many are calling it, WFH, for those who have no time to say the whole phrase out loud. My only problem is that I frequently misinterpret the initials for WTF and I think an inordinate amount of people are just rude.
I did a little research before hitting the keyboard to see what I wrote during other disasters big and small. After 9/11 or even after one of my father’s visits to the emergency room, for instance. The commonality here is humankind’s resilience and decency - we rebound. While reading epistles with dad as the theme, I was impressed with his overall good nature, captured for a moment in time. At eighty, he was comfortable joking with an anesthesiologist about placing his defibrillator on eBay or flirting with the nurses. Although the flirting left me a little uncomfortable.
By now, we should be used to working from our kitchen tables and home offices. But, until now, I bet we never gave much thought as to the importance of a really comfortable chair. And, hopefully, we are all learning to fight distractions and urges to finish that last portion of lasagna in the back of the refrigerator.
So, what have we all learned? How about if you are on a call, perhaps it is best to take notes and pay attention to what is said as opposed to what you look like on Zoom. How about getting more exercise? Since you do not have a water cooler to frequent or the opportunity to stop by someone’s office, start using that sadly neglected treadmill that you’ve been using as a coat hanger. How about drinking more water? I said water. No, Happy Hour does not start at 3:00.
Most certainly, we have all discovered the Inner-Chef in all of us. A friend just shared a picture of his boeuf bourguignon. A client who I barely know is sharing her bread-baking secrets with me. In the last few weeks, I have made a turkey, a lasagna, chicken parmesan, several soups, and cakes. And I still have time to work on my computer from 8:30 to 5:00 - because Happy Hour starts at 5:00. I am shocked how paperless I am, forced into a green existence due to a lack of a printer here.
Even though I don’t get to see them regularly, I enjoy the daily interaction with my coworkers; they keep me entertained and calm. I cannot imagine going it alone. What will the workplace look like when we return? Will it be more open and fluid because it is proven we don’t need to sit next to each other? Or will we all return to offices with doors due to social distancing and isolation? Most importantly, will barbershops and hair salons be open 24/7? Think of it this way; you’ve made it through another week, which means we’re all another week closer to coming out of this at the other end of the COVID-19 pandemic.