Written by Scott Miller
Yesterday was the day my brother and I set aside for “cool brother day.” The designated time was 9am for me to arrive at his house so we could tow his boat to the Chesapeake Bay, go for a boat ride to his favorite crab house, grab a couple of fish sandwiches and go anchor somewhere for lunch. Then we’d turn around and head home. That is a good day. In the context of COVID it also seemed like a good plan. We’d be out on the water in the open air, and that’s about the safest place you can be according to experts.
Let’s think about it a little more. My brother is a retail grocery rep which means he is in and out of grocery stores, all day, everyday. He is very cautious. He wears a mask and gloves to keep himself safe. I trust he does a good job of it. He doesn’t want to get sick or make his family sick.
About 50% of the COVID cases are asymptomatic, which means there a bunch of people carrying it but they have no symptoms. The car ride to the bay is about an hour and a half—even with masks that’s a long time in close proximity. In addition, and I’m just guessing here, a high percentage of the people in and around the water would not be wearing masks. Both of those factors elevate the risk of becoming infected.
One of the advantages of living or working at Garden Spot Village is that you get a healthy, positive perspective during not only the best of times but during unforeseen times like we’re experiencing with COVID-19. The leadership team has spent hundreds of hours in webinars, conference calls and detailed discussions sifting through all the data, case-tracking, confusing information and guidance related to sustaining safety and health during this pandemic. The learning and best practices from all the study and practices is available to everyone who lives and works here.
Imagine how reassuring it is to have your own trusted, balanced source of guidance from a dedicated group of people interested in you and your well-being. There are no hidden motives—they simply want the best for you. Anyone can ask questions of the leadership. In fact, every Thursday morning our CEO, Steve Lindsey and COO, Steve Muller, along with Dining Services Manager Christy Turner, host Coffee & Conversation. It’s an open-forum question and answer time in which residents can text or call in questions. Those sessions are recorded and available online for anyone with access to the internal communication network.
Thinking about everything I’ve learned here during this crisis, I had a last-minute conversation with my brother and we decided to postpone the day away until a later, safer date. In all reality, that may be the summer of 2021. We’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime, the people who live and work at Garden Spot Village have access to really good advice that can help them make the best, informed decisions possible in these troubled times.