Over the last few weeks, we’ve all been thrown into a bit of chaos and uncertainty… usually i try to put together something once a week with my two cents to spark up a conversation with you….
The last few weeks have been pretty different though – it’s been hard for me to have that conversation with you for a few reasons. Our radio station has made major adjustments by closing down to the public, announcers broadcasting from home to keep them and us safe, new protocols in our studios that include a major cleaning regime several times a day…. the station is pretty empty….it’s a bit quiet at times…even a bit lonely… but Radio is an essential service, and its our job to try hard every day to keep the message accurate, real and relevant as we all try to get through this together. It’s not easy. Our staff is going through the same things you are, and our business is in the same place of uncertainty like hundreds of others in our area.
It feels like we’re living in a movie sometimes, listening to numbers grow, lock downs in place and kids with seemingly no place to go…all of it starts to catch up. For those of us in radio it’s hard to be up sometimes, because these are scary times for so many. Not just because the spread of the virus is real, because people are out of work. You could be out of work. There may be a lot of uncertainty in your house with how you’re going to pay your next rent or mortgage or get groceries. Its real. The concern and fear is real. The only saving grace of it all is that this isn’t a Thunder Bay situation…its a global situation. Literally millions of people are going through the same thing.
If you’re like me and find yourself ingesting a lot of information about Covid-19 on a daily basis and hearing about how quickly the staggering numbers continue to grow in Italy, Spain and even the United States – it has an effect, and its had a big effect on me. At the same time – it gives us pause to try to understand why this is happening. Why are so many getting sick and dying so quickly. It’s simple really. Not everyone is taking this seriously. People aren’t staying home. It’s the number one reason these numbers are growing so quickly…that’s a fact.
I have a responsibility. You have a responsibility… so do our friends and family. We have to stay home. It’s the only thing that can be done to slow this thing down. There are no magic drugs or vaccines or treatments, there are no other safety nets. Staying home is it.
Really, you’re being asked to stay home to be kind. Kind to your family and friends and coworkers to ensure that you’re not the one bringing a nasty bug with you. But there is more to it to that. Staying home also means a lot to those on the front line who are in positions to save us. Health care workers, police, fire and paramedics, the grocery store worker, the pharmacist, the sanitation and water workers who are leaving their house every day to take care of us.
So why aren’t we doing something for them. Why aren’t we staying home? Why are there still gatherings of people…why are some people ignoring the warnings completely? Why aren’t we staying home so that the health care workers have one less person to take care of? For those of us that are doing things right, and staying home, and isolating like we’re asked, it is starting to get frustrating. It’s not easy at all…..But…. its the kind thing to do for everyone else. And now that the virus is in our community and close to home, now is the time to step it up to protect all of us…
We’re only in week 3. We’re just getting started. 2 weeks from now the world will be different again, because so many are simply not staying home, and not keeping the people around them safe. The number of people getting sick and dying will multiply in the coming days. In the US alone, they’re now expecting close to 200,000 people will die in the next few weeks. It’s staggering. We’re doing better here, but it’s really, really early.
2 weeks from now local workers will be have missed a couple of pay cheques. Kids will be missing a lot more school. But front line workers, health care workers, emergency service workers…they still have to go to work. They still have to put their families at risk. We can do the right thing and stay home, for them. To be kind to them. To do the right thing, for them.
You know every day, our staff gets a little boost from those of you that reach out to say thanks with a text, a call or an email for keeping things moving, still playing the music you love and keeping you informed. That means a lot. Thank you. Our company is going to great lengths to keep us safe and help us do the right thing. We’re not health care workers, or emergency personnel, we’re in radio. Our job is to get you the information as it comes in and try to put a little bright spot in your day. It’s hard on us sometimes. It’s really hard for me sometimes too with the conversations we have with leaders on this show. Because we have families, we have friends that are hurting, and we miss getting out of the house too. But we’re doing our best to stay safe and stay home. And now more than ever, we need you to do the same thing.
It’s time to be kind. To stay home. To check in with those that need it. This isn’t a movie. This is the real deal…. and we’re all in this together. No matter what – everyone is in the same boat. Let’s take care of each other… by staying home. Let’s ask people to stay home. Let’s do it to make sure the people that can’t stay home and put themselves at risk every day, have less to worry about. Just stay home and say thank you to those that can’t
That’s my two cents…
~John