BY: CASSIE SKONIECZNY, PRECONSTRUCTION SPECIALIST, CLARK ASSOCIATES, INC.
ABC KEYSTONE YP COMMITTEE MEMBER
I can still remember the tension that lived in the air during the 2008 recession. Hearing about family friends being laid off became so normalized that I began to forget how to have empathy. Times were tough, but before long, the economy recovered, and I was out on my own.
Nothing could go wrong! Well, except maybe a global pandemic. Is George Orwell pulling a prank on us? The tragedies that our world has endured these past few months are so monstrous that I sometimes fail to recognize how detrimental they truly are.
To attempt to stay grounded, I have had to learn how to quickly distinguish which problems were within my control and which were not. I can control wearing a mask. The global climate, however, is something I cannot.
The lessons that we have all had to come to terms with in the past few months have been tough, to say it lightly. But there is the magic ingredient that will make this all worth it: Remembering the lessons.
We need to remember and embrace our lessons. How have these lessons shaped our world? What were some positives that have come from this? I am grateful to now have the opportunity to work from home. This was something I didn’t see happening for myself prior to the initial COVID-19 outbreak.
Right now, we have more inertia for change than we have had in the past decade. Historically speaking, workers’ rights have always improved in the wake of a pandemic. We will stay strong in our journey through these intense times because we have in the past. Even though times are changing, change does not have to be a bad thing.
Posted September 9, 2020
