At a difficult time, we should be looking for each other
What was normal before may not be anymore. The economic woes that have been delivered by the COVID-19 pandemic have elicited dire predictions from economists all over the world. Harvard economist Kenneth S. Rogoff recently said, “This is already shaping up as the deepest dive on record for the global economy for over 100 years.”
Moving forward, the very way we look at public space will change, impeding consumer-based economic growth.
Most of us have been working from home for one month. The COVID-19 pandemic is, above all, a public health emergency. As long as human interaction remains dangerous, business cannot responsibly return to normal.
But one month ago, we weren’t sure we would make it this far. There is hope, because we have made it this far. The world that emerges will be facing a challenging recovery.
It’s springtime in Southwestern Pennsylvania, a period of growth and renewal. All around us, flowers are blooming as nature is awakening from its winter hibernation with hope for sun and warmth.
We are in our own time of hibernation, an unexpected isolation that has changed our perspective on what is normal. Let’s embrace this spirit of renewal and reflect on what is most important in our lives. Let’s do our part and renew our commitment to each other.
With this opportunity for renewal upon us, let’s think expansively about our current moment. We must wrap our hearts, minds and spirits around this quiet calm that change is happening . . . a more compassionate and sustainable normal has arrived. This is not the time to look away. It is in times of adversity when we should be walking directly into the storm . . . looking for each other.
There is a story of two trees in an orchard. One tree quickly grows to be beautiful and produces an abundance of fruit. This tree becomes the focus of the entire village, while the other tree is small, growing slowly and producing only a small amount of fruit.
The small tree goes largely ignored by the people of the village. Word travels quickly and people come from all over to pick the fruit from this beautiful tree.
One day, a terrible storm raged through the village and the beautiful, abundant tree toppled over and died. It had focused so much on its fruit that it neglected its roots and they were far too shallow.
When the earth around it became soft, the tree, with no roots to support it, couldn’t withstand the storm. As the people of the village mourned their beautiful tree, one old man noticed that the smaller tree was growing taller and producing more fruit. While the beautiful, abundant tree was focused on its fruit, the smaller tree was busy, planting its roots deep into the soil.
Let’s create a strong system of roots so that when we emerge from this, we will be stronger together, so strong that when the next storm arrives, we will continue to stand tall and produce the fruit that will sustain all of us.
Jamie Protin is founder and principal of The Protin Group in Belle Vernon.
To submit business-related columns, email Rick Shrum at rshrum@observer-reporter.com.