Says Lord Sugar and for once, I want to agree with him. During Covid we have acquired a taste for working from home and he states that some of us are getting a wee bit complacent.
I must admit, working with my laptop whilst tucked up in bed sipping my warm coffee can have an appeal. That is until someone says ‘Put your video on’ and I scramble for a hairbrush and some lipstick.
Kids interruptions
As we become used to the attic rooms of celebrities and politicians talking to us over Zoom links, amongst a background of bookcases and children who have escaped the clutches of the au-pair, sneaking in behind wanting their faces painted and jumping on the spare bed. The sorry, somewhat forgivable faces of various politicians, draw our attention to the human aspect of their lives. Hmm., not a bad thing, but is it professional?
Not so many years ago I remember locking myself in the loo at home to take a business call giving clear instructions to not be disturbed, for whatever reason My kids fearful faces would nod in agreement as I glared at them and picked up my phone. Thankfully the caller on the other end assumed I was talking from my office and not the white porcelain throne. Mummy? Mummy? would be the constant whining voice, screeching it’s way through the keyhole.
Will we soon be watching the prime minister from the confines of his toilet as he is interviewed, when his child becomes of interruptible age? The virtual world is here but is it here to stay in our day to day business lives? Is there going to be a period of getting back to normal OR NOT?
There used to be a time, when we could place our professionalism neatly and securely within our work place and scheduled time. We would dress smartly for the office, be available for meetings, Show up on time and learn to share our skills and knowledge. All these aspects of our business life would set examples to junior workers and so it went on. Now we are having to merge the two within our isolated virtual world. Is this progress, is this the future? Let us sincerely hope not. I say this virtually every day.
I enjoyed listening to Lord Sugar as he waved his finger at civil servants telling them to get their arses back to work. My Mother would have said the very same words. I guess I want to feel secure in the knowledge that getting back to our old normal is the right thing to do. But when? This life of uncertainty has nothing whatsoever to do with my life of easy living and no planning. That former life was about being spontaneous, not restricted. Restriction describes negative incarceration and people eventually will rebel. They need to feed their families what ever the risk is and that not only means getting back to the workplace but back to being a social animal.
In every chaotic state of great disturbance and uncertainty we will always look for someone to blame, We have heard the accusations, The Chinese, the politicians, the travellers, the immigrants, the late night party goers, Is there anyone else left we can hold to account?
The Uk government want us to tell on our friends and neighbours if they break the rules. This distresses me because I believe it will cause a lot of upset and divide. Not because people break the rules but because people will be scared of what they can and cannot do for fear of being reported, The fear will restrict them. Those who do not care will do it anyway. But what if your neighbour thinks you have broken the rules and you have not. What about all the spiteful rule keepers out there who will now feel they have a power unprecedented. Do you see where this is leading?
Covid or no Covid we must hang on tightly to our basic needs. Social interaction on a physical level is vitally important. People constantly argue about numbers and rules and regulations like it will make the difference for life and death? Yeah, well it will, in exactly the same way as crossing the road.
But Covid has a different power over us, One we cannot see or touch as we try to get to grips with it. Covid IS INFECTIOUS and as we are told by the powers that be, we can infect our family and friends without knowing we even have the virus, possibly causing a fatal outcome. If that is not going to send us all running for our solitary caves I do not know what will.
Finding the balance has to be our priority now and if social interaction and getting back to work is going to stop us becoming virtual zombies locked away, where the window to the outside world is what Google Facebook Twitter and all chooses us to see. The view from your window may just be a different one than what your friend or work colleague could be seeing.
What is more important is that a divide is happening. There are a number of reasons for this. One is because of the amount of information you are taking in starts to confirm a truth in your mind. Your news feeds start sending you similar posts. You watch the same news channel, You begin to think everyone is thinking the same as you. Your virtual world is beginning to control your mind. This is why social interaction is not only good for our health and well being but also for the bigger picture, Maybe the picture of what is really going on, OUTSIDE. If you want to stay safe, you also need to live in a society with a healthy divide and not one that is spiralling in an un-desirable direction.
Last night I finally got around to watching the documentary “The Social Divide” it is on Netflix. Our social media, habits and stored data are being manipulated and the social media experts, are voicing concerns, In someway social media is a wonderful thing, but the long term future is Scary, Very scary indeed, as we learn we are now becoming products of the system. This means the system is controlling us. Telling us what we need, what we feel and more importantly, what we think.
We can do something about this. Exactly the same as we can do something about Global Warming. But will we? Or will we continue to listen to what could be fake news and worry about numbers and statistics?.
Would you be willing to close your social media account, Close your news feed, not click on the videos recommended for you by YouTube or check your phone every time it sends you a message. I feel they would have to lock me away to do that, Hold on, is that not what they want me to do.
NO, the world cannot go virtual overnight.
Be sensible, stay safe and above all be patient. Start focusing on a world after Covid. It will end, I am 100% sure of it. For now I am going to focus on my Covid free future. This is a blip in humanity, lessons are being learnt especially about humanity. The world will grow closer if we get it right.
I am thinking of future travels, future parties and family get together’s. Lockdowns WILL finish because they are not sustainable for a human race. Concentrate on staying healthy and loving your neighbour. When the borders open there will be open arms and love. But it starts with us.
It starts with us.
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