Sometimes during this pandemic, it’s a single image that can really stop one in one’s tracks. The picture below of the NEC becoming a temporary Nightingale hospital was what did it for me yesterday.
I associate the NEC with the good times. Just a month ago, Jake, Lauren and I were there at the Kitchen, Bedroom & Bathroom show, serving coffee to visitors on the Caesarstone stand. As with so many events at the NEC, there were exhibitors and products from across the globe, all coming together to collaborate, trade and celebrate the industry.
Crufts took place there the day after but we all kind of knew this might be the last event there for a while.
Fast forward just 4 weeks and the NEC has become a very different venue but – fundamentally – one that testifies to our ability to react fast to change, as a nation and as humanity.
Every single one of us will have a story to tell when this pandemic is over … Cafe Allez! included. Some of those stories will be harrowing and tragic, but I have a feeling there will be a greater number of stories of generosity; of patience; of re-connecting with our neighbours and community and of finding new ways to stay in touch with and support the ones we love.
Stephen Hawking famously said that “intelligence is the ability to adapt to change”. That’s what is getting us all through this and it’s staggering to think how quickly we’ve adapted to scenes and restrictions that, just a month ago, would have felt like (at best) science fiction.
Life isn’t “fair”, we don’t get to control the world and sometimes things happen that we don’t expect and certainly don’t deserve. Many of us are finding these times difficult to deal with and that is more than understandable. All we can do is to adapt, learn, seek support when we need it and focus on the things we do have control over in our lives with positivity and creativity.
Stay strong, keep doing the right thing, look after one another and we’ll get through this together!
