Be prepared
When I envisioned this blog a while back, I certainly didn’t have a pandemic in mind. But so many interesting topics have come to mind since we’ve been on stay-at-home/safe-at-home by our respective municipal leaders. One of them is how many companies have had to conduct business in new, creative ways. Restaurants had to adapt to provide take-out service only for a while. Once community leaders relaxed rules for the first phase of reopening, restaurants could open for dine in service. Owners adapted again and rearranged their tables to accommodate 25% seating capacity then to accommodate 50% capacity during the next phase of recovery. Retail stores began to sell by phone or online and deliver products via curbside pickup. Even zoos and aquariums, the industry in which I’m employed, had to adjust to capacity limits, pre-sale tickets, created one-way routes around attractions, and position physical distance monitors to ensure guest safety. Those business that were prepared are surviving, though some barely. Those who could not adapt have closed permanently, which is most unfortunate. That old ‘be prepared’ admonition is never more true than today. It seems some were prepared in the manner that Scar from Disney’s The Lion King told the hyenas to be prepared. Scar proclaimed “… so prepare for the chance of a lifetime, be prepared for sensational news, a shining new era is tiptoeing nearer, … just listen to teacher, I know it sounds sordid, but you'll be rewarded, when at last I am given my dues, and injustice deliciously squared, be prepared!’ Well, spoiler alert, Scar’s plans didn’t quite work out for him – although it took many years for the truth to surface. My point, is even though the catchy song went on to say ‘… meticulous planning, tenacity spanning …’ it didn’t quite work out for Scar. That’s likely because he had such an evil, diabolical plan. I’m hoping business and families, too, of course, are prepared more like the scout motto:
BE PREPARED,
which means, you are always in a state of readiness in mind and body to do your DUTY; Be Prepared in Mind by having disciplined yourself to be obedient to every order, and also by having thought out beforehand any accident or situation that might occur, so that you know the right thing to do at the right moment, and are willing to do it. Be Prepared in Body by making yourself strong and active and able to do the right thing at the right moment, and do it. Scouting for Boys (1908), "Camp Fire Yarn.—No. 4. Scout Law." (Part I, p. 48)
(In the spirit of full disclosure, I was not prepared. I’d written several blog posts and saved them on my trusty thumb drive. Then that trusty drive somehow broke in two pieces so I’ve had to recreate several posts while the drive is at the repair shop and I pray fervently to Saints Anthony, Jude and Expedite for intercession! Of course, I’d told myself numerous times to transfer the documents to the cloud, but I never got around to it. Insert that shrug emoji. So, even I need to be prepared – like my beloved Girl Scouts!)
