All Hail the Heroes

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

So. Coronavirus. Here we are, sitting on the couch, binging on Netflix, and hoarding dry goods. For the general population who is able to work from home, the sacrifice barely registers on the annoyance scale, let alone reaches the community efforts required for many of history's worst calamities.*

Reputable experts in infectious disease have assured us that this epidemic will get worse before it gets better, and that people should be prepared to shelter in place for at least another 30 days (or longer), depending on which expert you listen to. Please note I said expert, not the third bullshitter from the left or some media personality who thinks their presence in front of a camera suddenly makes them a qualified epidemiologist. This is a science based problem, and we should be listening to scientists.

Ahem. Sorry about that digression. I'm a little irked by the misinformation being spread about for political, selfish, or economic reasons.

ANYWAY.

The purpose of this post is to point out that we, as a society, owe a debt of gratitude to some unsung heroes in our midst. Not the medical professionals, although their professionalism in dealing with this crisis has been exemplary and selfless.

No, I'm talking about the supply chain. You know, the process that everyone takes for granted. The process that moves goods from one place to another, and then distributes it to retail establishments so we can buy SpaghettiOs and sausage, toilet paper and tampons, beans and broccoli. It starts at the source - farms and manufacturing plants, and then moves these goods to distribution centers who then move it to retail stores.

These people are working their asses off. They can't keep up with demand, and with people acting like selfish knobs with their hoarding and other dumbassery, their lives are pretty sucky right now. They're trying to meet the demands of their companies, even though they have families of their own, people they need to take of in this crisis, and doing so puts their own health and the health of their families at risk. And they're doing this so that people can buy their groceries and other goods they need on a daily basis.

And what do they get for their trouble? They get shouted at. They get called names. They get their companies failing to recognize their efforts with extra pay and additional safety measures. They get bupkis. And that's just not right.

These people are the unsung heroes of this crisis. They deserve our thanks, our gratitude, and to be treated with courtesy and respect, especially given their current working conditions. So when the grocery store employee tells you there are limits on how much you can buy of a certain item, the correct answer is, "I wasn't aware of that, thank you so much for letting me know," not a public rant about your rights or how much more YOU need a bag of rice rather than your neighbor.

Don't be a tool, y'all. We're in this together, and if everyone makes an effort to follow expert advice and take care of each other, we'll come through it that much quicker. Allow this crisis to bring out the best in us, and not the worst. Take care of your neighbors. Thank the supply chain heroes who bring you your essentials, taking a chance of getting sick to do so. Be kind.


*Yes, I know people who work in the service industry are struggling, and many small businesses need immediate help. I feel for them, I do, especially since members of my circle fall into both categories. But that's a blog post for another day.

2 comments:

mom in northern said...

Ditto every word. Acts of symphony and kindness please.

Unknown said...

Hoping we will be our better selves.