I should preface this post by saying that I hope the overused phrase “in these unprecedented times” will soon join the other painful buzzwords like “synergy” and “WAAAAAASSSSSUUUUUPPPPP” in the great buzzword bank in the sky. But the unfortunate reality of 2020 is that this crap sandwich of a year has been truly unprecedented. The effects of COVID-19 have undoubtedly altered your life in a myriad of ways, from destroying your work-life balance to learning how to teach pre-algebra to your kids to acting like Zoom calls with your friends and family are the same as hanging out in real life. And that’s if you’re lucky. With more than 200,000 dead from the virus in the US alone (it was 183,000 when I started drafting this post almost two weeks ago), the dire effects of this virus will continue to ripple throughout generations to come.
(I’m about to shift gears here, but I felt it was important to emphasize that lives are being lost at…well…an unprecedented rate. I also want to recognize that there are undescribable gross injustices that have occurred and are occurring across this country that need to end. I didn’t want to gloss over these issues before I got into the thesis of this post.)
It’s mind-boggling to think that within a few weeks, every physical social outlet we held dear vanished: worshipping at church, chatting around the water cooler at work, meeting up for a happy hour and working out with friends at the gym. Here in Seattle, we had little time to adjust, and honestly, I’m still adjusting to this quasi-dystopian reality.
Sadly, a lot of these social institutions are feeling the brunt of this pandemic. Countless restaurants and small businesses closed their doors in mid-March, not knowing if they would ever open again. Last month, I found out that my neighborhood gym, E-Train Fitness was another local institution closing its doors for good. Something I had mentally prepared for but hoped against hope that it wouldn’t actually happen.
It hurt.
There were very few things I was looking forward to more than lifting heavy things at my gym after the pandemic. It was my happy place. It’s was what got me through the dark northwest winter last year. Most importantly, E-Train, specifically its owner Elston, helped me fall in love with lifting again after I burned myself out at my old CrossFit gym about a year ago. It was more akin to the Average Joe’s gym from Dodgeball (deep cut, I know) where I knew the personal trainers, including Patty, a 70-something-year-old fitness trainer who trained other seniors and at times trained me along with providing an encouraging word. It was my new community, and I loved it dearly.
Now, I’m not sure what I’m going to do. I always had an open rack waiting for me, as opposed to fighting the broherds at the big box gym I went to for a while that’s open 24 Hours…(fitness) or working out at a CrossFit-style gym that has class times that don’t align with my new twinfluenced schedule. And honestly, I’m not sure when I’m going to be comfortable working out in a confined space in a post-COVID world and unfortunately, it’s going to be a while before we get there.
So now that you’re down in the dumps after reading this (sorry). But this is how I process. I write.
I’m sure you’re hoping for the silver lining. Well, I can’t say that I have one. But there are things we can do to help out our small businesses that are still against the ropes.
Things like:
-Buying local when you can, from small purchases like bagged coffee from local roasters to running shoes at a local running shop.
-Donating shelf-stable food items like peanut butter to your local food banks who need donations now more than ever.
-Rummaging through your closet for gently used warm clothing items to gift to your local homeless shelter before the winter weather hits. (They always need new socks as well!)
-Purchasing a gift certificate from your favorite artist co-op as gifts for the holidays.
-Or even hitting up Elston on Instagram (@seatrainer25) and purchase a few of his mobile fitness sessions!
These are just a few things we can do. It may not feel like a lot, but it can go a long way if we all do our part.
Finally, I think the best thing we can do for ourselves is to remember that this is not normal. Odds are, you know someone or have come into contact with someone who has tested positive. That’s why we have to remain vigilant by wearing a mask (even if it’s not mandated in your state) and maintaining social distancing with one another, no matter how much it sucks. Because if we don’t, we will only prolong this pandemic, putting more businesses at risk.