Plundering of the Pandemic - Part 1: "Bricks and mortar will not stay, will not stay..."🎜 

       From "London Bridge is Falling Down", the lyrics now speak to us in a dramatically different manner, in a way we could not have even dreamed of as youngsters...

       Trending: September 15, 2020 -- "REI sells new, unused HQ to Facebook". Companies that possess or lease retail shops, factory production facilities, or warehouses, those that have traditionally offered a face-to-face (or now mask-to-mask) experience, have been 'under attack' for decades prior to the current pandemic. A survey of business periodicals elucidate how the forces of the current pandemic related to COVID-19 have accelerated (or exacerbated, if you prefer) a process that was well under way since the 'turn of the century', tangible evidence for which discerning business owners have long been taking heed in their apportionment of future resources for such things as office space (anyone want to buy an office building, anyone...anyone...Bueller?!).

       Panic at the Disco, under attack: while some of the consequences of E-commerce and other 'click and mortar' business trends were predictable and offset by wise stewardship of long term resource allocation, the pandemic has brought with it some strong, unprecedented types of challenges to many institutions previously considered 'immune' -- those ranging from education to retailers, from eateries and grocery stores, to other venues of collective enjoyment or those of more serious, purposeful gathering (e.g., houses of worship, government facilities). The first, most dramatically affected by 'shut downs', of course, were those that primarily consisted of indoor, more 'congested' spaces (yes, Sonia, that includes dance clubs!). But we have now witnessed and experienced this trend extended even to outdoor sports stadiums and the like, where there continue to be restrictions on clustering (see Sept. 8th post "Sizing Up..."--20%/50% capacity?). Collectively, we consider the forces that we have had to compensate for in our attempts to sustain the noted activities to be primarily of an external nature (including government policies regarding numbers allowed, sizes, distancing, even shut downs). In other words, those we may once again associate with "Viral Vicissitudes".  But what about the...

       Enemy Within Our Walls: "We have met the enemy, it's us!" (from the comic strip "Pogo" in 1970, a comical but simultaneously poignant commentary on our propensity to destroy our own habitat). I insert the quote here to provoke thought (and perhaps even action) beyond those so often mentioned in the mainline media. That is, let's all consider how we may ourselves represent the 'Trojan Horse', in the inadvertent destruction of many institutions and venues under consideration from within. How are we perhaps to blame, ranging from such behavior as refusal to follow basic pandemic hygiene, to even negative self-talk (see August 28th: "Self-talk" post), that may also contribute to implosion? It begins and ends with us. If we are in part to blame the good news is that we can all take measures to 'mitigate' the destruction of these venerated institutions, activities, and amenities; even protect them for future generations. In turn this hopefully gives us all a sense of control in an otherwise pervasive atmosphere of powerlessness, helplessness, and blaming. An ounce of humility.

Part 2 - "You can take the student out of college..."