During the Covid-19 crisis social isolation and lockdowns have often provided exclusions that revolve around the word “essential”. For those people/occupations deemed “essential”, they are able to move about and stay open. People need food, hence the reason why grocery stores and their workers are “essential”. People become ill and need medical care, hence the reason why doctors/nurses/healthcare workers are deemed “essential”. Fires and crime are still occurring, hence the reason why firefighters and police are deemed “essential”.
I believe that “essential” goes far beyond the obvious, immediately thought-of people/professions and depends on situations. The SBA Payroll Protection Program is incredibly important for most small businesses to retain their employees, hence the reason why SBA staff, bankers and anyone else involved in getting money to small businesses are quite “essential”. The working parents that are trying to balance their work-at-home job responsibilities are “essential” in keeping their children’s educations continuing and protecting them.
The bottom line: We are ALL “essential” in this world although some people/professions are more focused on at times like this. Being “essential” carries some responsibilities: It is important to try to keep other people’s spirits “up”, keep yourself/your families healthy and never forget your importance to the people in your world that love you.
And, as promised, each entry now ends with a joke, so here goes:
I told my physical therapist that I broke my arm in two places. He told me to stop going to those places.
