I’VE GOT NEWS FOR YOU … THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS TRYING TO MAKE A LIVING AREN’T THE ONES RUINING IT FOR THE GROUP
Depending on what state and city you live in, you are ONE YEAR into 15 days to flatten the curve … I started getting my FB memories from one year ago last week when my kid’s school “closed down for 2 weeks” … we lived in WA state at the time and those kids still aren’t going to school in person. It depressed me to no end thinking of these poor kids and their poor parents … and I’m not afraid to say it:
THESE LOCKDOWNS AND SCHOOL CLOSURES ARE WRONG IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD.
Trying to read between the lines? Are you trying to figure out my political standing? Because that’s where we are now … sadly. If someone states that they want schools to open and our children to return to school and we want businesses to open, the first thought on someone’s mind is usually: hmmm, wonder if they are for Trump or Biden??? Weird, isn’t it??
So the other day I got a call from a client … this client lives in an area where they still aren’t open for events and weddings at full capacity … my client follows the guidelines … they wear their mask … they keep everyone socially distanced … they do what their governor has enforced on them … and just like ALL OF US, money is necessary for their livelihood … they need money to eat and to live and to keep their house … and so, they work …
So, my client had a wedding and a week later received a letter from the state in which they reside in the mail … basically saying: someone has reported them and it sounds like they didn’t follow the Covid guidelines.
Now you may be thinking a few things:
Maybe another vendor saw this person walking around without a mask and was worried about the virus spreading, so they had good intentions!
Maybe this other vendor overheard that this business owner was working with a fever and was nervous because they are immune compromised!
Maybe the vendor who turned this person in knows for a fact the business owner was working an event WHILST having Covid themselves!
…. NOPE!!!!!!! Here is what actually happened:
THE PERSON WHO TURNED IN MY CLIENT SAW A STORY ON INSTAGRAM AND THEN MANUFACTURED THEIR OWN GUESSES AS TO WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND THEN REPORTED MY CLIENT
Even worse? When the state contacted my client, they told them that NO PROOF of disregarding the Covid ‘rules’ was necessary. What??? So we can all “turn each other in” for something we may or may not have done and NO PROOF is required?
Sounds like an evil genius way for people with no character to start trying to take down the competition if you ask me! Want another florist out of the way? Just call and ‘report them’ for something that goes against the Covid mandates in your area! Heather, people don’t do that … Wanna bet? During a time like this where people are desperate for income, are being fueled by fear and the unknown, and have families to care for … people will do a lot … and my client is the perfect example of how this type of thing does happen.
Is this where we are??? We are tattling on each other? Has the government pushed us to this place? A place where we feel the only way we will ever have our lives back is if we start turning on each other and trying to figure out “which one of us is ruining it for the group”?
I’ve got news for you … the small business owners trying to make a living aren’t the ones ruining it for the group ;) I think we are all adult enough to decide what’s best for our health … If weddings and events happen, I believe we are all smart enough to stay home if we are feeling nervous about a large gathering … maybe I’m crazy, but I don’t think everyone is so dumb that we need a governor to tell us where and when we can go places and how many people we should be allowed to see …
Now, your next thought may be:
WE ALL NEED TO JUST SUCK IT UP AND FOLLOW THE RULES SET BY OUR STATES SO WE CAN EVENTUALLY OPEN UP AT FULL CAPACITY.
How is that working for you? We are a year in … not trying to be insensitive, but in certain states they are still in phase 1 … and this is WITH business owners following the guidelines. There are business owners who are ONE YEAR in and lots of them are having to close down their business because, it goes without saying, ONE YEAR of staying closed or being at 1/4 capacity just doesn’t cut it …
So my point???? Let’s not turn on each other! Let’s not try to decide based on Instagram posts if other business owners are following the guidelines … in fact, if you see another business owner at an event who takes their mask off for a minute, there is no reason to run and tattle on them … give people a break! If this was really about cases and states wanting to keep case numbers down, then closing down for a year would have done it by now …
And if you truly disagree, then go about your ‘fight for keeping cases down’ another way … because before you ever go and tell on someone, you should have the FULL STORY and be a big person and go directly to the source and discuss your concerns with them, not try to get them in trouble with an anonymous phone call to the state authorities.
XO~ Heather
