This is the third post that I’ve done since our worlds were turned upside down. The first was on So Here We Are, second was on What Can You Do, and today were talking about hanging in there. This post is meant to be some RCS encouragement to stay the course. Every day that goes by, the isolation gets tougher and tougher. We have all been removed from the comfort of normalcy. It’s tough, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Personally, I’m out of the office until 5/1, so we’ve got some time left here at the Fort. We’ve been trying to keep our routine, and for the most part we’ve been good. We haven’t worked out as much or cleaned out our house like we thought we would… probably a little delusional, considering we are both still working and are as busy as ever. We have limited our news consumption, and have a ‘lunch date’ every day together, where we make our lunch, sit down with each other, and talk about how we’re feeling. I know that sounds like some new age BS, but I got some sage advice to communicate how I’m feeling, and how she’s feeling. It helps keep our anxieties at bay, to share and discuss. It turns the ‘I’m feeling…’ into ‘we’re feeling’.
We’re also looking for ways to find joy in our new normal. We have been facetiming like crazy. We’ve dug deep into Netflix and OnDemand and have enjoyed some old movies that tell great stories – like ‘Beverly Hills Cop II’. We enjoy a glass of wine (or two) each night after we put the kids down. We normally don’t drink during the week, but at the very least, it gets us together and helps us wind down after each weird day.
It’s tough. Especially for everyone with kids. Still, need to stay in and be safe. That’s the point of this whole exercise in social distancing and flattening the curve. Please don’t bend the rules, and stay as isolated as you can. The more we all commit to that premise, the sooner we’ll be through this.
Enjoy some of the content that’s out there! Jess Graves just released the Homebody newsletter (it’s good), Michael Williams, one of the guys I look up to quite a bit, wrote a GREAT piece on A Continuous Lean that is worth a read. I’m going to re-release some good old content – keep an eye out. What else? I’m speaking with a bunch of small business owners across the spectrum to get an idea of what they are going through, and how the RCS community can help them weather this unprecedented storm. I hope to release it this week or early next.
Remember to continue to support the small businesses. Shops, restaurants, etc. They need us now more than ever. I’ll be talking about what the brands are doing over on RCS’s Instagram. Since most of my partners are owned by some really creative, and entrepreneurial people, there are some great opportunities to no only support the brands with purchases, but in other creative ways. More details to come…
More than anything – just hang in there! I’m here if you want to chat – go ahead and slide into my DMs. I love the RCS community, and promise to put out as much content that I can. I’m thankful for all the contributors and friends who have submitted some fantastic pieces that should take our mind off our current situation…and get us closer to the end a little sooner.
How are y’all doing?
I’m not a homebody so this has not been fun few weeks for me. A few things to stay distracted- smoked my first Boston butt (so-so result), lots of board games, watched Tiger King (a must see), picked up a Pat Conroy book, washed/detailed the cars (now covered in pollen), and a few House Party calls with old fraternity brothers. A little concerned we’ll run out of things to do by the time this is all over. RIP Joe Diffie
I suspect we’ll all have an ample supply of time to kill before too much longer.
I feel fortunate that I shifted from a high pressure 60 hour a week office environment in a high threat situation overseas to working exclusively from home in ATL last September. The transition was hard, but at least I was able to fully acclimate before this situation erupted.
My wife teleworked two days a week prior but now she is home full time for the duration. We “share” a living room based office which puts us in close proximity all day every day.
My wife works at CDC and I am an online news junkie (articles only, no talking heads) so we are up to speed on the depth of the reality of this situation and we thank God every day that we are not trapped overseas where we served for the last 12 years in Africa and Asia.
I am a corporate program support manager and work is a bit worrisome, with business slow and Q2 being in the tank. But so far so good, yet the current situation is obviously unsustainable despite warm assurances from our CEO. To keep my mind occupied, I have been sorting the garage, going through all the boxes from our move from overseas. Goodwill will benefit heavily from the truckload of stuff I have to donate.
Daily coping skills:
Open communication with my spouse.
Morning and Evening prayer time.
Staying in contact with family and friends.
Looking for ways I can help my church community.
Checking AAAC 20 times a day.
Researching future dream purchases (I can get a Tudor BB AND an Omega Speedmaster for the price of a Rolex Explorer II !?!) . Or a Ceasar Guerini Magnus Ltd 20 ga with an English stock from Grady Ervin?
Thanks for this outlet. Greatly appreciated!
Cheers,
BSR
Thanks, RCS.
It’s been a rough few weeks. I used to work at home every Friday and my day was just stacked with conference calls so it wasn’t bad, but switching to FT WFH has been a challenge. The Mrs. and I are trying to take deep breaths and remind ourselves that this too shall pass, but it’s hard without a known end date. Plus, I work in an industry that has been ravaged by this virus and while my job hasn’t been impacted, lots of people I know and like have and it hurts. We like to think everything will bounce back to normal, but it’s not going to be 100%
To cope, I been listening to a lot of the Dick’s Pick Dead Live albums (Harpur College is my favorite) and taking time to read and decompress every night. I’m reading Erik Larson’s The Splendid and the Vile right now and highly recommend it.
Cheers
Some may call it good to get a break from stress of work, but I run my families company now. We are in year 85 this year – I normally work 75 hour weeks. I still find the time to be there for my wife and two toddler sons. Sleep is for the weak ( my personal motto). I am still coming in to the office, and my work week has shifted to a normal 40 hour work week and I find myself getting bored. I get home earlier, do house chores I normally push to the weekend. I don’t get to see family or friends like I used to. I have found myself getting the worst headaches/migraines to the point of tearing up due to stress of the worlds economy going to shit. I want my sons to have a healthy life and future and I just fear this is killing the economy and I feel awful for those who were forced not to work and will have to file for unemployment or even bankruptcy. I do feel bad for those who are losing loved ones – most deaths are due to underlying health issues, but that’s no reason to take it lightly…..I get that. I feel the harm we are causing to economy will be longer lasting and have greater harm to more people. More children are now being harmed due to abuse to being around unfit/stressed parents who take it out on them. Its just a lose/lose situation however its viewed and everyone has their own opinion.
That being said I am dying and ready for the world to operate normal, watch sports and just sit and watch people laugh and have a good time while eating at restaurant.
Well said. I’d give anything to have the time today to clean out a closet or watch a new TV show. Instead I’m working out details of covering healthcare benefits for people we were forced to let go Friday.
My wife and I used to work out at different times, but now both working form home has allowed us to work out together every morning. I also commute, so being home an extra 2 hours/day has been great. Kudos to all the guys out there getting completely dressed.
Can we get a quarantini post? I’d like some new drink ideas for our ‘couple’s happy hour’.