It's been almost 3 months since my Shelter-In-Place order began in March. With that came the stark realization of what is considered "essential businesses". Were you a part of an important group that your community deemed it could not live without? Or are you "non-essential" - meaning, sorry - you no longer have a job. I can imagine that is a tremendous blow to someone's view of themselves and their worth and livelihood.
My job as a software engineer at a digital coupon platform business, seemed "essential" at first. I have been able to successfully work from home without problems, I don't need to interact - face-to-face - with the broad public to do my work properly, and I assumed digital coupons were here to stay. Well, assumptions can and, by good old Murphy's Law, often go awry.
I have been grateful for being able to continue to work, but because of the current state of retailer supplies and the shopping habits of present-day customers, digital coupons are not a top priority right now, and my continued employment at my current company may be numbered. Retailers are holding off of promotions at this point, to secure what cash flow they have, due to problems with unforeseen forecasting problems due to Covid, supply chain obstacles due to shortages of products, warehouses shutting down due to rampant spread of Covid, etc. It is understandable, but this situation has lead to my company's decision to cut pay, certain benefits, and execute a second round of layoffs, leaving my group of 7 (including our manager) to a meager group of 4. I am one of the few left remaining and I fear my status is becoming "non-essential".
As with many other parents, I have taken on more internal jobs - health inspector, baker, teacher, counselor, forecast operations manager, researcher. This is on top of my pre-covid roles as cook, nurse, gardener, chauffeur, maid, financial officer, and - my favorite - couch potato. I thought working from home would make things easier, but in reality the hours fly by with tornado-like intensity and speed. Now with the bleak uncertainty of my future with this company, I'm challenged again to prepare myself to find an "essential" niche along with many others.
The anxiety of pressures everywhere is real. Coping with them and finding inner calm becomes top priority - not just for my family and myself, but for everyone around me. Tolerance, mindfulness, love, compassion is my goal from the moment my eyes open in the morning, till they close at night. It's not easy, but doing the right thing usually never is. How about this: just remember to take a deep breath when things start to feel overwhelming.
I close here to speak of my appreciation, gratitude, and admiration to those essential workers who put themselves at risk to do the jobs that keep my community running as best as it can be - doctors, nurses, first responders, postal workers, sanitation workers, delivery/parcel workers, utility workers, teachers, educational administrators, grocery store workers, restaurant workers, warehouse workers, truckers, etc. Life would suck a whole lot more without your hard work and dedication to us all.
If this post didn't make sense...meh, I'll blame it on my brain just rambling on. Stay safe, everyone.
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